Dudes.
I need your help. I am the most fly by the seat of your pants and hope everything works out great person that you will probably ever meet. I am NOT organized, I blame my creative mind.
So, I am asking for your advice. What do you do to keep your life organized? Stuff like a clean house (what’s that?!), happy children, and your mind at peace?
My problem seems to be that there are SO many things that I want to do and have going on that I can only deal with what is pressing AT. THAT. MOMENT. (please tell me I am not alone!)
I need some ideas of what you have done to get things under control.
And because no post is complete with out a picture, this is my Dyl with her new bike (that I put together all by myself!) She woke up at 6:30 this morning so she could sit on it and watch Olivia.
Oh, and can you see where she cut her hair? Right in the front. Yes. We are awesome at our house.
Love Your Guts, Mandi
Been tempted to hire a professional to come help me…but then she would see how crazy I am!
You are so not alone with organizing OR children who trim their own hair, 3/3 here! On organizing, a large family calendar helps, also, try to choose one day where you will only run errands in an emergency and stay home, do the laundry, tidy the main living areas, and maybe make a nice meal. I try to pick one day to go junking each week and run other errands while I am already out. I have a couple of days that “Mommy works”. I also now have teenagers, they like spending money, they have chores, and get bonus $ for extra chores. Works out well, even the 6 yr. old gets allowances and loves to earn extra quarters chasing down the errant cat hairball floating around. Not something you can control necessarily but when the kids are in school it opens up a whole new world! 🙂 Hang in there!
I know how you feel. Although my problem is that I love to be organized, but I just have a hard time doing so, then it stressed the heck out of me! I am actually in the middle of creating a tutorial for an organization board I am going to keep in my kitchen. I downloaded a cleaning list from Brown Paper Packages that I am putting on it and I have already started to try to live by her cleaning rules. Some are a little OCD for me, but I have noticed a difference from trying her list out. Also lists help me a lot to feel like I know exactly what I need to get done. Crossing things off of a list always feels awesome too!
I love questions like this, as it really helps to see what other people do!
I have to make a conscious decision to be an organized person. I tackle the “piles” in my house once or twice a week (on the dining room table, in the cubby over the microwave, on my side table) and purge things that aren’t useful. I’ve started putting coupons directly into an envelope in my purse and I purge outdated ones every week or two.
I also am a list maker. I have a huge chalkboard in my kitchen that I map my week on- including planned DIY projects.
The list I love the most, though, is one that stays on my fridge at all times. I have a piece of notebook paper on the door and I jot DIY ideas as I have them. It includes things like “paint picture frame for addition” and “storage solution for office?” Anytime I think of something I’d like to do, I add it to the list. On a lazy Saturday I’ll pick an item off the list to tackle. The best part is crossing out a completed item! I leave the list in it’s scribbled glory- it makes me feel that we ARE finishing things around our house. 🙂
Good luck!
Literally been writing a series called “organize your life 😉
My biggest tool is literally dressers…a lot of ’em! https://anestforallseasons.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-is-in-all-of-those-dresser-drawers.html
…and this is how I do my kitchen: https://anestforallseasons.blogspot.com/2012/01/organize-your-life-kitchen-that.html
Omigosh…I feel your pain! I used to think I could be superwoman, I’ve come to the conclusion that 3 kids later, a job, a husband….I’m not. Ive decided I’m ok with it. I live your blog and your story! Thank you!
Wait? I’m supposed to clean the house and be organized? Crumb cakes!
Have you read “Organizing from the Right Side of your Brain”? I am SUCH a creative person! I tend to have stacks of stuff – every time I try to organize I can only keep it going for about 24 hours! This is a good book – shows us how to organize in a way that makes sense to creative people. Enjoy and good luck!
Simplify…Cut out the unnecessary. It works…I promise.
To make sure I get to where I need to be and make sure other things (returning library books, giving my pets their heartworm meds, sending birthday cards, etc) gets done I have a planner.
I pay my bills the day they walk into my house so I don’t forget. I keep a pile on my kitchen table of things i need to shred and things I need to file and once a week I take care of it.
I just try to stay on top of all of the house cleaning stuff as much as possible – use a dish, wash a dish kind of thing.
Good luck!
http://www.flylady.net
15 minutes a day is all it takes 🙂
Mandi, this post made me tear up even though it is funny . . . I am totally feeling overwhelmed and stressed and I am definitely flying b the seat of my pants right now. I will be very interested to see what everyone else is saying and . . . You are not alone!
Thanks,
Amanda
http://www.theivycottageblog.blogspot.com
Jenny Komenda just posted a cleaning schedule on her blog today (Little Green Notebook). It seems fairly simple and not like you would spend a ton of time on it. I’m gonna try it. Also, I’m going to pray. Cause that’s what helps the most.
I totally understand how you feel. Organization is so awesome in principle and then life gets in the way. I am a huge fan of pretty boxes and baskets. They can go in drawers and cabinets, on shelves and even just hang out next to the couch. I leave little boxes everywhere for catch-alls and then big baskets for blankets, purses, etc. Sure the contents of the basket might not be perfectly folded, but at least my floor is clean! I added a new addition this week to my basket collection and it’s making a world of difference: https://youngscholarslife.blogspot.com/2012/02/overflowing-blankets.html
Girl, I’m TOTALLY the same way. I feel like I’m running a race to keep up with me, the blog, my brain–and focus on slowing down to be with my fam in the present. That doesn’t leave much time for cleaning, ya know? We figured out a while back what our biggest issues were, and after we made some changes and saw what worked for us, I wrote a post on the things that help me (somewhat) keep it all under more control…
https://www.perfectlyimperfectblog.com/2012/01/how-to-organize-tips-for-celebrating-the-imperfect-home.html
Hope it helps–and no, you’re not alone, lol.
🙂
shaunna
I guess I probably don’t make too much sense…I am very creative and organized. I can’t do my porjects unless the house is clean and organized and then it gives me more time to be creative.
What really halps is a cleaning schedule, where I clean a specific thing in the house…ex: tuesdays…everything that needs windex gets windexed, fridays all floors get wiped. Then each day I take one room do an extra cleaning on, like the kids room, or the office. Then I always do 20 minute clean up during the day where I run around and put the house in order…put away laundry, so all my cleaning total only takes about 30-40 minutes and I really have a clean organized house.
I plan my meals a week at a time. No crazy “what the heck are we eating tonight?!?”. I have a meal planner (free download on my blog!) and every Sunday we sit down, plan the meals and write the grocery list around that. We sit down for dinner every night at 5:45pm. My oldest does her homework when we get home from daycare until dinner starts.
As far as cleaning… I am OCD when it comes to cleaning. I am constantly running around mopping, sweeping, wiping, etc. I’ve had to slow it down a bit and Sundays are my all out cleaning day. The kids help – wipe baseboards, cupboards windows (yup, 2, 4 & 11, they can help out!). I clean the bathrooms, dust, vacuum, mop, clean the fridge and over – I mean the whole sha-bang. The rest of the week I spot clean. I vacuum everyday, but that’s me being anal. 🙂
I am such a routine person I almost have a hard time when my routine is broken. My kids are the same way now. But they totally know what to expect and they are happy and healthy and stable, so I guess we’re doing something right!
Good luck! I’m sure you’ll find the right routine for you.
Flylady and my Cozi calendar, that links to Flylady. Without them my life was out of control, with them my life is happy and stress free.
One thing that I have done that has REVOLUTIONIZED my life is designating chore days for myself. I know, I am reverting back to childhood, but at least this time I don’t have a chart with gold stars, but then again, maybe I should. Anyway, Monday is Laundry Day, Tuesday is grocery day, Wednesday is pay the bills day, Thursday is Vacuum Day, Friday and Saturday are whatever needs to get done or nothing days, and Sunday I spot clean the bathrooms I am a full time worker so this has just helped my sanity. I only have one task a day so its not overwhelming. IF the laundry is stacking up…I don’t worry about it until Monday. Also, having a good/workable entryway system. (like not the entryway to your front door but the actual door you come in) has helped me too. Places for mail, keys, bags, coats and shoes has been a huge help to the clutter. Finally, one other goal I have for myself (which I am not perfect at) is the dishes. If I am taking time to cook then I take the time to clean up as I go. It makes it so quick after dinner to clean up (which usually my hubbie pics up)
Thanks for such a great blog!
Jennifer
http://www.iloverehabs.com
It’s best to start small with organizing and then gradually build up. For instance don’t try to start organizing every aspect because it will be overload. Sort of like gradually getting used to cold water at a pool.
For starters I suggest a small spiral planner from walmart or target. You can write in appointments and errands you want to run each day. (You could even probably find a tutorial online to DIY one!)
Make it a habit each day to sit down in the morning or evening to see what you have going on the next day, week, month. And keep it will you all the time or in a handy place to add things as they come up!
Best of luck!
This post is so timely for me! Love reading all the tips.
The only thing I can offer is a “hear-hear!” to the Jennifer’s post about chore days. I have a chore chart that goes 2 weeks and it essentially covers BASIC CLEANLINESS. But when I’ve done the thing for the day, I can feel “at peace” that I’m on top of it, and at any given moment the house is in a good place to just be “tidied” if guests are coming over, instead of an all-out freakout cleaning mania. “confessions of an Organized Homemaker” has been a good resource.
3 things I have come up with help soooo much.
1. Laundry (My NEMESIS)-Alternate easy to fold loads with hate to fold loads Example: Towels-Colors-Jeans-Whites
It makes laundry much easier!
2. Get the kids a shopping cart-have them put the stuff they pick up in it & wheel it to their room every night.
3. Play Beat the Clock-Set a timer for just 30 minutes and commit picking up as much as you can in that time. (Tailor it to your cleaning needs)
Seriously-I am no homemaker, but my house is clean most of the time.
Check out Simple Mom’s post on her Home Management Notebook (https://simplemom.net/home-management-notebook/) I am not affiliated with her, just a subscriber to her blog and reader of her books.
Lists! Lists!
Write a list of everyday things to do(dinners, laundry), weekly things to do(grocery shopping) and long term things to do (clean out one kitchen drawer, go through that box of your kids old clothes). When you have a minute, do one thing.
Baskets!
I’m the same way, in the moment kinda mom, obsessed with whatever is on my mind at the moment… This site has helped me a ton, but its still a super work in progress, cleanmama.blogspot.com… I say, some people have it and some just don’t. What can ya do.
Hi Mandi- I’m a Professional Organizer AND a Vintage Revivals fan!
Here is some quick & dirty advice, since you asked: if you’re looking to really make a shift towards being more organized, I would recommend first mapping out your top 1-3 priorities for your daily life. You could do this in a linear way or you could create an inspiration board, mind map, etc.
I love the idea of creating a list (or “chore chart”, diagram or whatever works for you) of daily tasks & routines vetted against your Top Priorities and then keeping “future ideas” stored separately to get grounded. They keep your to-do list from getting too cluttered and help you capture what you’d like to accomplish. Oh, and pretty containers and labels, while fun, don’t get you organized by themselves (sorry all!)
Obviously, this is just an intro to building an organized foundation. Feel free to email me privately if you’d like, I’m happy to help out if I can!
If you would like to hire someone, I recommend checking out the NAPO.net website for a pro in your area. A true professional will not judge, I promise!!
Hugs & Happy Organizing
I’m as right brained as they come and organization to me means something different than it does to other people. I struggle daily to stay organized because my brain literally doesn’t automatically put things in “homes” and “compartments”. From one artsy fartsy to the next I will give you my tips:
1. Buy an expando file folder (the ones that open up like an accordian) and I label each section- bank statements, tax, medical, etc. and when the mail comes in I sort, put things that need to get paid on the fridge with a clip magnet, and then file anything I need to keep.
2. I make a menu for the month of dinners. I bought little boxes at Target, labeled them with the days of the week and put all the ingredients for that night’s meal (except fresh produce, etc.) in the box for that day. BAM. Dinner is easy.
3. I am the lady that has to actually label her sock drawer. I’m serious. I just can’t keep my dresser drawers straight so even though they are kind of ugly, I have labels on EVERY drawer, box, whatever in my house because if I don’t, it could end up anywhere. I label all the shelves in my pantry (not to be cute and crafty, just to keep it organized!) and I label everything so I know where it goes.
4. I have plenty of planners that have never been written in, plenty of notebooks and lists that were never completed, but I think the act of writing things down just gets it from your brain to reality and someday all those things will get finished! Good luck. You are one of my favorite blog-elebrities and I am not a expert on organizing, but I get it. I totally get the artists way of organizing. I really feel I function at my best when I’m surrounded by pure, unadulterated CHAOS. But boy it’s sure nice knowing exactly where those scissors are when you need them because the are in the basket labeled scissors! Good luck.
I work as a nanny and my job duties include caring for the kiddos, housekeeping and cooking meals. Here’s how I get through the day!
– I pick a cleaning task for each day. One day it’ll be vacuum the house and dust. The next may be just cleaning the bathrooms… etc etc. It’s one little chore a day that by Friday the house is clean and the parents can just enjoy their weekend.
– When it came to the kids’ bedrooms, having a second person (non-family) clean it can do wonders. I was in charge of cleaning the kids’ bedroom and I got rid of a lot of toys! I’d put them in a black bag while kiddo was at school/out with a family member and put it in the garage. After a few months, her parents would check to make sure nothing important was in there and then donate.
– If you’re having a hard time getting things done with kiddos underfoot, consider a day or two of drop in daycare, a babysitter, or utilizing a mom’s day out program. Getting those few hours really helps.
Some tips from my own home:
– Simplify your cleaning products. I use an antibacterial all purpose spray and a dust spray throughout my entire house. I don’t use much else except sometimes a magic eraser. Having only one cleaning product to tote around is so much easier!
– Paper clutter. This is definitely a two person job. Have you and hubby sit down after kiddos are asleep with a paper shredder and a file box. We go through the entire house and grab all sorts of scraps of paper. Then, we put it in a pile and sort. Bills go in one pile, receipts in another, etc. We shred anything we don’t need anymore. In the file box goes past bills (we usually keep only one or two months’ of statements), tax returns (keep for seven years), manuals for appliances/electronics (keep until they break or get donated. We always send them with the donated item), warranties for furniture, pet paperwork, etc. Every six months or so I’ll weed out anything we don’t need to keep anymore.
– Keep a wall calendar. We picked up one in the Target dollar section awhile ago. It’s a desktop calendar that we write down when the hubs gets paid, when he’s out of town, when bills are automatically withdrawn or need to be paid, doc appointments etc. Keep it somewhere you will always see it like the kitchen or near the garage door.
– Weekly meal plans are the best! Produce won’t go bad, and we won’t eat out as often. I’ll even prep some of it on Sunday (like browning hamburger for spaghetti or tacos, precooking veggies for soup).
I am in the same boat. I go to school, work and do my furnature refurbashing at the same time. I made a whole board on pinterest to help me but my creative mind wont stick to the ideas!!
Interesting to read the suggestions. I think that parenting makes us feel like “fly by the seat” kinda people and It only get worse. Wait til they hit 11, 12, and on….you will be in perpetual flight.
So Ms Mandi, as you can see from the response from this short post, you are sooo not alone!
My mom had 8 kids, a part-time job outside of home, a hubby who often worked over-time, and an adult child with hubby and grandchild all in a 3 bedroom house. SHE HAD TO BE ORGANIZED. When I had my kids my mom said, when the kids sleep, you work. So when they napped in the afternoon, I started dinner and did crafts. They never slept more than 1 1/2hrs so they were ready for bed by 7:30pm and sound asleep by 8:00pm. Tip: a good wrestling match with dad and then bedtime stories with mom, helps seal the deal. : ) When they slept, I cleaned and got things ready for the next day. When I needed an uninterrupted day, they visited grandma for the day! Everyone needs a bit of help sometimes and as a now grandma, its a win-win deal! Be kind to yourself, non-Superwoman and enjoy your life! Almost forgot, I’m an new follower and hope you’ll join my Frugal Treasures party tomorrow. -_*
I am having the same dilemma this week with so many things to do and so little time to do them in! This is something really simple that I did this morning to organize my life (and make myself feel less anxious about having to accomplish a million things in 5 days):
1. I made a list of all the things I must get done this week.
2. I got out a new piece of paper and made boxes for each day of the week.
3. I went through each task on my to-do list and placed it in the day that is most appropriate to do that task. Some days I have a few short tasks to complete while others I may have only placed one big thing that will take a long time.
4. I have committed myself to doing each task on the day it was assigned. Otherwise, what’s the point? Giving yourself a due date will keep you focused and give you a sense of order, especially if you’re task-oriented like me.
5. I cross things off as I finish them which seals the deal and makes me feel like I’m on the right track. When you feel good about getting things done, then you will be motivated to get more stuff done.
Good luck!
I feel like I am organized best when I have a home for everything. Doing whatever you have to to have more storage really helps, such as more cabinets, dressers and organizing items in closets. When things are put away I feel better!
As far as every other area of my life, I think feeling like you have too much on your plate is normal when you have children at home. http://www.createyourdecor.blogspot.com
i’m not crafty or creative or projecty, like you are, but i AM organized. maybe we need to do a trade or something. 🙂 i have a blog that has been semi-abandoned, but i DO want to get back to it soon. VERY SOON! it’s all about organization and homekeeping. maybe you can find some helpful stuff there. http://www.sweetpomegranate.wordpress.com
I know how you feel! I’ve been trying to put together a binder to help organize all my insanity. It sounds completely OCD, I know, but having lists works so well for me. I’m planning meals, cleaning my home and organizing all the other things I want to get done better. If you google “home management binder” or something like that, you’ll probably find some ideas. Best of luck!
you just gotta want it! It is terribly hard to GET organized, but even harder to stay that way. you just have to make a decision and then stick to it.
I read a life changing book YEARS ago. It is called, “Confessions of an Organized Homemaker.” I am willing to bet that 99% of her advice I still apply to this day, even though maybe 80% of that book is not really relative anymore (it is an old book, sort of out of date stuff) but it is GETTING INSIDE HER MIND that I needed. She thinks in an organized way and it helped me see things differently. BUT, you gotta want it!!!!
I don’t have kids. I clean a floor a night during the week leaving me the week-end free. Did I mention that I don’t have kids? 😛
I am a mom to 3 little ones. Here are a few, simple pieces of advice.
Make a weekly list of cleaning to-do’s. Monday, clean bathroom. Tuesday, dust and vacuum living room. Etc. I like to tackle one room a day. Get it done the first half of the day, don’t procrastinate. Not only will you feel accomplished, you have the rest of the day open.
Make a weekly meal plan and stick to it. Makes life so much easier!
Switch up your cleaning schedule the next week to keep it from feeling mundane.
Most importantly, pick one day a week to only do the necessities, like meals and dishes, and just spend the day hanging with your fam and doing what u want.
Love your blog!!!
Firstly, I LOVE that your post started with “Dudes”… (B) My kid has that same helmet!… 3. I’ve got a friend that has a kid that cut her eyelashes with scissors, be thankful yours was just head hair… In closing, I am absolutely NO help cause I’m pretty much a scatterbrained mess these days! Love your guts too!
It’s a never ending process isn’t it? I just did a post with a few tips. You can see it here: https://loveofhomes.blogspot.com/2012/03/making-your-house-home.html
Good luck!
Sally
loveofhomes.blogspot.com
Dear Miss Utah,
In my thrifting/vintage pile mixed in with my everyday stuff, I had an old pair of kiddy craft scissors. The kind with rubber on the metal handles with a loose screw in the middle so loose the blades barely brushed. So I say to my kids, “These won’t cut hair. They don’t even cut paper.” Next I fake cut a handful of bangs…Yikes! They did cut hair. At 35 I should have known better.
I third the vote for FlyLady. She says “Babysteps.” She says “You are not behind, you are just getting started.” She breaks things down into daily routines and weekly blessings and monthly zones. She has a link to a menu planner, grocery helper.
For years I’ve had a tub of rags/towels on the cook book shelf between the kitchen and dining area. The kids know they are for “When things spill.” Not if things spill, but WHEN they spill. From the time they were little, the kids learned to grab a rag and help soak up messes. We would say “Life is messy, clean it up.” That was the tag line for Dirt Devil hand held vacuum when they were little.
Miss Florida
FlyLady rocks. She’s also right: “You can’t organize clutter.” She’ll babystep you through the process of getting your life under control. And my favorite quote of hers:
“You’re never behind. Just jump in where you are!”
I often wondered how you get all this done, plus being a hands on mum & keep your house so beautiful! I also upcycle furniture (in Australia) and have an 18 month old & 3 year old… Ive learnt too cut out some of the crazy but cleaning in the morning, playing mum while babies are up and upcycling like a crazy person during the napping hours / weekends! its full on but i figure theres plenty of time for cleaning later in life also long as the family are all healthy and happy!! Love your blog! P.S. Your daughter – adorable!
Oh and i also am a crazy list person – i have lists of my lists!!!
I also love Fly lady. Her routines and tips for customizing to your needs are great.
Save envelopes from daily mail.
Write “TO DO” for next day.
Do them.
Repeat.
cheers,
Coline, in Canada
Save envelopes from daily mail.
Write “TO DO” for next day.
Do them.
Repeat.
cheers,
Coline, in Canada
March 7, 2012 2:52 AM
HA! I just Twittered you a couple weeks ago (and HouseofSmiths, too), asking how in the WORLD you guys do all this DIY stuff *and* make your house fabulous, when I can barely just get my CLEANING done! I see that it’s really not as easy as you all make it appear to be. Glad to see that I’m not the only DIY blogger that is struggling to balance it all!!
Girl, I’m beginning to think that all women need sister wives to keep a house running smoothly! (j/k)
Serena
Thrift Diving
http://www.ThriftDiving.com
my tip is keeping the house clean. i didn’t know where to start when the WHOLE house is a mess! I made a schedule. monday kitchen and laundry room. tuesday living and dining room. wednesday bedrooms. thursday upstairs bathrooms. friday office and downstairs bathroom. saturday front entry and stairs. the first week I spent a few hours on some of those days getting the chores done. but the next week was very quick. the week after that was so quick that I could devote some time to deep cleaning on those days. if you pair this with light picking up in the living room and doing the dishes each day your house will stay clean. to me, if you start with a clean house, other tasks are not so overwhelming and you have time and space for them. so this is really the main tip I use. I would also say train your kids. Mine isn’t old enough yet. But when I was growing up as the oldest in my family, we all had chores.
oh and don’t be afraid to throw stuff away. less stuff is less stuff to pick up and find a home for. that being said, don’t ask to see my garage :0) Ok, I do clean it out once or twice a year.
Our school mornings used to be crazy until I started this: https://www.maddiehamilton.com/2012/02/23/school-morning-routine-printable/
Now my mornings are delightful.
I am totally in your boat though otherwise.
Mandi, I’m exactly like you and claim the creative mind thing too!
That photo is priceless, so adorable! Love your blog.
im with ya! i want my house to stay neat and clean, but i also dont want to be cleaning it all the time. so its a loose/loose situiation. i have other creative things i want to do. and it makes me feel frazzled and well unorganized!!! idk how to help. it all depends on my energy level also. i cant committ to a routine bc if i dont feel like it, im not gonna do it!!! sheezzz!!! i could use a maid that would work! lol
OMG, THANK GOD. So – I read you religiously. Every time you post, my email is set with a sweet little disney like sound that alerts me that Mandi has been hard at work, and I will literally drop whatever I’m doing to go read it, r i g h t n o w.
And every single time I read you, I think – holy crap. How does she keep it all together?! You actually inspired me to open my own DIY blog. I wrote on it 3 or 4 times and it’s just sitting there, collecting dust and waiting for me to do something awesome with it.
I see your posts, I know you have a bulldog (as do we), you have two girls (I have 3 boys) and you always seem to have your proverbial ducks in a row.
I have a 4000 sq. ft home that I bought thinking – I’m so going to pull a Mandi and ROCK that sucker. Instead, I have a holy ton of mismatched project pieces waiting for me to do something amazing to them that are being used in their less than amazing potential because i don’t have time.
What I do have going on is I have 3 boys and a husband. The boys are responsible for chores that keep the place from becoming a fire hazard, a husband that cooks, and I take care of the animals.
If I’m lucky, I get to dig out some time to work on projects on the weekends, providing of course I have the money to get the supplies etc. for them.
For happy kids, I listen. That’s it really – just listen and react. If they need help, they get it. If they want something, they earn it. That’s how I handle that.
We are a far, far cry from perfect, and I think you are doing an amazing job of at least portraying perfection because everything you do is just simply breathtaking. You look awesome, you sound happy, and I love reading you.
You’re an inspiration, so don’t second guess yourself for even a second!
https://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2012/02/im-woman-with-plan-and-routine-and.html
Just thought I’d share a link to this post on the blog, Modern Parents Messy Kids. It is about organizing your entire life! Found it on pinterest and am taking the challenge….
I have a white board in my office. I have three categories on it: To Do, To Call, To Buy. Every time one or the other has to get done (at some point) I put it on the board. It helps me a ton
I feel your pain. I have found a blog, I heart organizing and It has helped me a lot. I just try to tackle one thing at a time. Thank goodness other people are creative organizers and share their ideas because I would never come up with that stuff on my own.
I soooo feel you, but sorry I can’t help. I’m a total wreck these days too. Haha. I make peace with myself hearing that I’m not the only one that jumps from project to project, mind running wild, children running wild and life just feels unorganized. Maybe organization is not the norm and WE are! What do you think?
I don’t really keep myself organized; I just try to keep the kids alive. I only wanted to comment to say that is the BEST picture ever – her little face is hilarious. And every kid gets a hold of those scissors some day! It’s hair, it grows back, no worries.
Hi Mandi,
I just discovered you on an episode of Nate I had recorded, and I am officially in love w/ you!!
We are kindred spirits! I love DIY, I blog, (about motherhood, homemaking & marriage, yourapronstrings.com) and I love interiors! I’ve also been asked by many friends to come over and “help”.
I wish you lived near me so we could play!!! Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed you and your projects on Nate, that I will be following & recommending your blog, and that you’ve lit a fire under my butt re: some projects I was thinking about doing!
So nice to meet other “real” people w/ such a passion for their homes!
Shonna
Mandi (from Mandy with a “y”…I feel like I’m writing to myself)! ha! We definitely all struggle with this!
Rules of mine (for myself that I constantly need to remember!):
1. The less stuff you have the less time it takes to clean it and move it.
If it’s not there it won’t clutter your mind because you have to look at it all the time!
2. Finish projects you already have before moving onto another one.
3. On Sunday evening, make a list of goals for the week, then break it down in days for the week. Don’t go overboard here! Pick 1 and if you get it done then you can always add a project that you have added to be done for the next day.
4. Get all your chores done (groceries, laundry, dinner, etc) BEFORE you start on your project.
5. Routines are important to children – so stay on an evening routine. Much less chaos for children (I had 4…now are all adults)
6. Keep a list of all the things you want to do! This is key for me…otherwise I jump from project to project and nothing is done.
7. Keep your car clean and your purse clean. I know this is a crazy one, but if these too are messing it messes with my head and then I’m out of control!!! So, everytime I get out of my car I take with me what I brought to the car (water cup, coffee cup, food wrappers, etc). Then, every time I fill up with gas I sit in the car and clean out my purse!
I hope this helps you!!!!
I am a list person myself! In fact I just blogged about how I stay organized.
https://https://smithocracy.wordpress.com/
This really keeps me on track.
I feel the same way when it comes to having a creative mind and then not keeping up on other things…ahem…like my housecleaning. My mind has too much to think!! But this year I feel different. I want to take charge of household and its clutter and disfunctionality. Plus, I’ve got 4 kiddos so throw that into the mix…. Anyways, I decided to make a goal once a month to tackle ONE room or section of my house at a time that is in DESPERATE need of organizing and functionality. I sat down one night and made a list of what needs to be organized and made plans/diagrams of each and put them in my AWESOME household binder (…its got cleaning lists, babysitter info, calendar of birthdays, etc. and of course projects and goals!) So far I’ve got one and half done and its only been 2 months! Yay! I can’t wait to keep checking off my lists of projects/goals 🙂 I hope this will inspire you as it has for me 🙂
OK, I have a totally different approach than most here.
I’ve grown to accept that I’m a totally ADHD, right-brained, creative type.
So I’ve done away with the to-do lists and let the most important stuff float to the top of my mental list.
When it’s important, it will get done. The rest waits until it’s important enough to float to the top of the list.
It’s been incredibly freeing!
Wrote a little about it here…
https://www.homagestyle.com/decorating/design-inspiration/motivation/
I am a mother of five kids including ten month triplets. Organization is a must. But I tell you this, you are either an organizer or you are not. It seems, and this is not a judgment….you are a self-proclaimed un organizer. But that is simply saying you don’t compartmentalize your life. So what. You’ve made it this far, right? I suggest you make one goal a day. That’s it. If not you set yourself up for failure. When you mastered one goal a day long enough to make it a habit work on maybe two goals and so forth.
I hate it when people say they are going to change their life starting now. How realistic is that? Anyone who can whip together a room from the stuff I would have called crap is WAY capable of accomplishing one thing tomorrow. Good luck.
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/spare-the-rod-unconventional-ways-to-hang-curtains-167181
Hi! off subject, but wanted to let you know you were mentioned on apartment therapy today…in case you didn’t already know! mandilicious awesomefulness is taking over the world! 🙂
For clutter/simplicity, I recommend Aby Garvey at simplify101.com. She literally changed my life (and I don’t live anywhere near her)!
For daily tasks, just do what this website says every day, and you’ll get an A in housecleaning.
https://www.justmommies.com/articles/home-organization-plan.php
I feel the exact same way as you! BUT this year I have decided to tackle my dis-organization one area at a time… first up? paper clutter. and I have been using the Life Binder system… I’ve only had it in play for about a month but I LAH-VE it! Changed our lives already! Check it out-
https://joannajune.typepad.com/work_in_progress/2012/02/life-binders.html
Get a planner and make yourself use it! best advice I can give since I’m not the most organized person either. But I use my planner and it helps!
https://shelbit.blogspot.com/
Wow!! I can so relate. I’m a crazy creative mother of 4 kids. Most days I have more DIY ideas then sense. Here are a few things I’ve been working on over the past few years:
1. Hire a professional organizer. It will be the best $$ you ever spend.
2. Hire a cleaner. Come to an agreement with your hubby what you can afford per week and hire someone to clean your house until you get back to ground zero.
3. Ask your hubby to commit to taking a few tasks off your plate. Also, get in the habit of involving him in the process, even if it’s something as simple as putting dishes away.
4. Lists. Lots of them. For everything. Just get it all out of your head and on paper.
5. Purge. It’s my drug of choice. Whenever you feel like the walls are closing in on you grab a box,go into a room and start filling it with things you don’t need until the box is full. Put the box in your car immediately!! Take it to the thrift store the next time you go and then you won’t feel nearly as bad about the box of stuff that you are about to purchase and bring room 🙂
Okay, so I had a lot to say and had to post this in two sections.
6. Work while you’re sleeping. Put a load of laundry on right before you go to bed and switch it as soon as you get up. Fold it standing up so you’ll keep working. Another tip…stop sorting and wash everything in cold. This way you can take the hamper from your kids room, dump the entire thing in the washer, then dry, fold and return it to their room. If that doesn’t work buy color coded baskets for each member of the family, and one for linens. As you’re folding put the clothes in the appropriate one. If putting it away is what slows you down do it when you’re tucking the kids in bed or laying them down for a nap. Or give your cleaner permission to do it.
7. Clean when you clean. Clean the bathroom when you’re bathing the kids. You have to be in there with them anyway, right?! Why not take the opportunity to quickly wipe down the counter or swish a few bubbles in the toilet bowl. Obviously this is one to be saved for when your kids are a little older but still require supervision.
8. Stay home more or go out more. If you stay home more you’ll get more done around the house. Limit yourself to one day per week for something necessary like groceries and one day for something social like ladies bible study. However, if you find you’re always cleaning and your kids are always messing, go out more. Plan trips to the pool, library or park and your kids won’t be home to make a mess that you’ll have to clean up.
8. Do everything for today yesterday. My husband and I lead worship at our church once a month We have to get 6 people fed, dressed and out the door by 8:15am. Our house used to be like WW3 until I started spending half of Saturday getting ready for Sunday. I lay out all the kids clothes, pack the snack and activity bags, boil and peel a dozen eggs, sometimes make muffins, and I shower and put my hair up in a big twist so in the morning all I have to do is blow it dry instead of the whole shower routine. My husband and I tag team the kids and most mornings are pretty close to hitting the 8:15 deadline.
9. Make your iphone your best friend. Program in everything from doc appts to bill payments to girls night out. Set your phone to alert you when each of the above is about to occur. When you have only a few groceries to pick up, write a list of what you need in the order of how you would shop it based on the layout of the store, take a picture of it and text it to your hubby so he can get the groceries for you.
10. Watch less tv. It robs your time. Except Nate. PVR everything else.
11. Have more kids. Now, I realize this is a little unconventional but it totally worked for us. When I had two kids staying organized was easy but I didn’t because there wasn’t a lot of pressure. Once I had 3 it was still manageable. Then the 4th came and I was knocked on my keester. I had two choices: live in chaos or raise my game. I chose the latter. We are far from perfect but there’s nothing like the pressure of having four little people and a husband relying on you to keep everything running smoothly to launch you into high gear.
12. Breathe! Drink espresso. And remember what one best girlfriend told me once. She said “Girl, you can have it all, you just can’t have it all RIGHT NOW!!
I hope that helps. Blessings!
GIRL. I’m so there. I’ve been trying to get myself organized for the past 8 months. I can’t say this is the ultimate way or that it’ll work for everyone, but here’s what’s working for me.
1. Where do I spend the most time? My kitchen and my car (sadly enough). So I tackled those first. And by “tackled” I mean “threw away and donated half the mess that was taking up space in my life without any benefit to me.”
2. What’s the problem in my car (trunk) and my kitchen? Is it that it looks messy, can I not find what I need, or does it just not meet my needs? For me, it was #1 and #3. So I moved the stuff I use most to the place where I use it (e.g. the reusable grocery bags aren’t in the back of the trunk, and the spatulas & wooden spoons I use by the stove are – by the stove!).
3. Lather, rinse, repeat. Next up was our bedroom, then our linen closet, and so on.
Basically, I focused on what would give me the biggest bang for my buck. What was driving me craziest? I de-cluttered and semi-organized that first. Then I enjoyed feeling in control of my surroundings, gave myself a few weeks to see if I could maintain it, then tackled the next-most-irritating part of my life.
Good luck!!
I forgot to mention – there’s super-organizing, and there’s good-enough-organizing.
When I finally put my bank statements and bills and whatever in a filing cabinet, I used some pretty broad categories. I’d never spend the time to file stuff by month and sub-sub-category. So I have a folder that says “Utilities 2012.” All utility info goes there. “Mortgage 2012”, “Retirement 2012”, etc. It means I went from 30 minutes to unearth what I need to just a minute or two to flip through the appropriate folder. Good enough.
Mandi! What a timely post! I’ve been following you for a few months (my friend at weboughtaproject.blogspot.com recommended you) and finally decided to take the leap and start my own blog which I did last Sunday. My blog is all about tackling my family’s Clutter (with a capital C!), finding simplicity, and treasuring the journey. Check it out at projectcluttermountain.wordpress.com.
I just love your site and your inspirations and your fans who post such hilarious and real replies. Thanks for keeping it real! We’re in this together! 🙂
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love your blog and ideas – thanks so much for sharing.
http://www.flylady.net is awesome.
15min a day … you’re there
I really hope you get some great responses from those organized people out here b/c I have been feeling like this most of my life but recently more than ever! So needless to say when I read this post I was like ‘OMG FINALLY! I’m not alone! Oh but wait if Mandi doesn’t know how to fix it….what will we do?!’ I can’t wait for a follow up post. Hopefully there is a creative organized genius out there that can give a detailed road map for us creative types to follow! <3
Holy vie my ‘scroll’ thumb just got a total work out! So ditto to pretty much everything posted, I’m in the same boat, lists, plan, purge, a little something each day…now I have something very specific that I came across a couple of months ago when I discovered it and tried it I felt what must’ve been the equivalent to edison and his eurah ha moment. Now 75% if the people here may already do this but….you know how sheets in yhe linen closet can get all messy…when your folding a set, stick it inside one of its own pillow cas
Holy vie my ‘scroll’ thumb just got a total work out! So ditto to pretty much everything posted, I’m in the same boat, lists, plan, purge, a little something each day…now I have something very specific that I came across a couple of months ago when I discovered it and tried it I felt what must’ve been the equivalent to edison and his eurah ha moment. Now 75% if the people here may already do this but….you know how sheets in yhe linen closet can get all messy…when your folding a set, stick it inside one of its own pillow cases! Instant neatness and no more cursing the sheets when going for that set on the bottom of the pile! Or, maybe its just me that used to yell at her linens 🙂
Holy ten car spelling crash! Posted that from my phone. 🙂
I sort of echo T.A.T.I Crew’s comment- I have a room (or two) a day for the deep scrub list, checking off stuff as I go, and one major task a day. And the blitzing in the evening I do with the kids (ages 3 1/2 and 1 1/2) helping, since it’s their stuff.
Not to bore you with my list, but to explain what I’m talking about:
Monday: Kids’ rooms and Bathrooms; grocery shopping.
Tuesday: Kitchen; prepping meals for the rest of the week.
Wednesday: Master Bedroom (the easiest of all the rooms) and it’s my ME day. I can spa’it, I can sew it, I can do whatever I want because all my ducks are in a row the rest of the week. This helps a LOT when it’s Monday and I just want to goof off… I have better self-control because I know in just two days I get my very own day all to myself.
Thursday: Living room/dining room; laundry
Friday: Office; clean out car & Family Day!!
Saturday is free and clear.
This has helped me keep the chores in order, and gives me balance. It’s also given me the ability to have things like “Wash windows” and “Disinfect toys” on an occasional basis and not have it throw off my whole week.
That’s the chore stuff.
The rest of it? De-clutter (if you don’t use it, rethink it). Have a logical place for everything you own (and put it there). And prioritize the rest of the stuff (and don’t procrastinate the stuff you don’t want to do).
I like prioritizing stuff with the old Steven Covey method: Everything on our to do lists falls into one of four categories. Stuff is ‘important and urgent’, ‘important and not urgent’, ‘not important and urgent’, and ‘not important and not urgent’. Write down EVERYTHING in your to do list and categorize it using that list. Then, strive to live in the ‘important and not urgent’ category, and keep the ‘important and urgents’ at bay. Try to limit your time spent on the ‘not important and not urgent’, and ‘not important and urgent’ stuff.
…steven covey has his hand to his forehead in Bull Shannon fashion muttering something about the fact that I need to read his book again since I think I just butchered the idea, but you get the picture. 😉 What it all means is to spend your time wisely. You know… the rocks and the pebbles and the sand and the water in the jar thing!
holy smokes. long comment. i’ll close.
I hated feeling like I was always fourteen steps behind all the stuff I needed to do. This is what works for my family. It isn’t perfect, but it’s peaceful, pratical and productive. (Alliterative finish unintentional.)
First and foremost, you are truly talented. Fa-reaking talented.
Don’t ever doubt that.
And your blog rocks.
I think we are SO hard on ourselves as women, right? Feeling like we need to be everything. To everyone. All the time?
Where we feel like if we aren’t doing it all, we aren’t doing anything. Maybe I’m the only one, but that’s how I feel at times.
I feel your pain as far as so desperately wanting to do 8,342 projects, who has time to dust the television? I’d rather be reupholstering those awesome chairs that will flank the credenza.
Here are a few tips that have saved my sanity. They haven’t made me or my home perfect, but they have saved my sanity some days:
1. Choose a day for each task and do them first thing in the morning:
Monday: Floors. All floors. Even the bathroom tile.
Tuesday: Dusting. Every surface.
Wednesday: Full on Laundry. Ironing and dry-cleaning.
Thursday: Bathrooms.
Friday: Organizing. And Vacuuming.
Saturday: Laundry. Or playing.
Each day: Never leave a room empty handed. There is always something that needs to be put away where you are going.
Start the morning with an empty dishwasher. And load as you go throughout your day.
“Blitz” the house at the end of the day by putting everything (toys, magazines, books, shoes) back in their home. Really. Blitz. In, like, 20 minutes.
There is nothing like greeting a picked up home first thing in the morning.
The only other suggestion (rambling) I have to offer is to start your day early. I know it sucks, but I have found it’s easier to hit the ground running.
Hope this helps.
I also hope we as women will realize we can’t do it all. Be it all. To everyone. All the time.
You’re fabulous.
Seriously.