Systems and Organization in Place

Hi friends! I hope everyone’s new year is off to a good start. We’ve been having CRAZY rainy weather around here this week. When it rains in Southern California, we don’t really know how to deal. I’m so glad we haven’t had to travel long distances this week. Lots of flash floods and my hubby and my son have been out in our back yard many an afternoon/evening this week in the pouring rain trying to make sure our whole back yard didn’t end up in our neighbor’s pool! Finally today there is some sunshine!

I have started working on getting our household “systems” into place like I mentioned in my New Year’s Goals post last week. As I wrote last week, getting systems into place and really streamlining our routines are a huge priority for me, my family and my work this year. I am after all, the CEO of this household, right?!?!?! This month will be focused on putting those systems and schedules into place. Hopefully I’ll be able to follow through!!!

       Some of the lists/schedules/systems I’ll be working on this month, in case you wanted to follow along :)

• Family/Household Budget: I’m working on getting some printables made up so I can track what we spend and have everything we need in one place.

• Home Organization Project List: Seriously, this has been on my goal list for the last 8 years or so. Every year I say, “This is the year I’m going to get us totally and completely organized!” HA! I am a pretty organized person, but I know living with more than two people in my home, things are bound to get messy and out of place. The thing is, when things are organized, in their place and we don’t have clutter out, my frame of mind and my mood are GREATLY improved. Like I can breathe. And take on the chaos around me. I’m nice, and calm and more patient. We have too much stuff and it’s effecting my patience, my mood, and my productivity, and as a consequence, my family. I even ordered this book {love A Bowl Full of Lemons blog} and it arrives today! So much for less coming into our house. But an organizing book isn’t “stuff,” right?!?  I am committed to going through almost every nook and cranny in this house, purging and organizing in hopes the things we have loved but no longer need can better serve someone else now.

• Family Binder Update: I’ve had a family binder for a few years now. I’m pretty sure Jason has no idea that I have it, where I keep it and what is in it. It’s helped to keep important papers like school schedules, our emergency contact lists {does anyone else photocopy them so they can just copy them year to year? I know they are so important but they are such a pain to fill out!} off my desk and all in one place. Unfortunately they still have important Kindergarten information in them. And that Kindergartener is in 2nd grade now. So it’s time just to do a quick clean out and update of those. And maybe share it with Jason.
• Meal Planning: I have to say, I’m on a roll for 2016!!! But it’s only been 5 days since I went to Costco, so we’ll see if I can keep this up. Knowing what you’re having for dinner every night, having the ingredients on hand and actually making sure the meat’s thawed is no easy task! But having a meal plan from week to week can only make it easier.

• Photo printing/storage and Important Family Documents: This goes under the “Home Organization Project List” but it’s one of my main personal goals this year so it gets its own category.

• Home Project List: Like many of you homeowner’s, I’m sure, we have a long, long list of improvements we need to do and want to do to our house. This one’s all about making the list, figuring out the order of priority and then actually finishing those projects! Especially the ones that have been in progress for a few months! {I am currently painting my 3 year old’s bed I found on Craigslist that has been in the garage since September.}

• Blog Planner: Knowing what I want to write about and when and what I need to do to get those posts accomplished.

This month, I will still be working on projects for LSID and sharing design projects and ideas, but probably primarily over on Facebook and Instagram. Here on the blog, we are putting plans into action during the month of January!!!

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