Organization

Easy Tips for a Homekeeping Notebook: Video Included!

June 27, 2012 by Katie at 7:33 am

Having a central command station for all things “home” can be very helpful in getting through each day. So much paper goes through a house, and without a place to store and organize it, things can get disorganized quickly. When I set out to put mine together, I read many blog posts about them, but I wasn’t sure exactly what to do to make mine perfect for our house. It has evolved over time, and I hope it will be a useful tool. I have created a video to visually share my notebook, but first, here are the categories I have in it, and a short description of each:

1. Planning: The first section has laminated planning pages galore! There are daily, weekly, and monthly planners, a master “to-do” list, and even a place for me to plan out my errands.

2. Meal Planning: This section is filled with past week’s menu plans, recipes, and blank printables for upcoming shopping and planning. I have found that planning as far ahead as possible with our meals is so helpful, and saves us alot of money.

3.. Exercise: I am currently 37 weeks pregnant, so this section has been a little dormant for awhile. Usually, this is where I have exercise tracking printables to log the exercise that I am doing each day. This is also a great place to tear out those little workout ideas from magazines when a home workout is all I can fit in. I guess it is time to get this section reorganized and ready to bust off that baby weight in just a few short weeks!

4. Cleaning: We are still using some help to clean our house every other week, but the plan is for that to change shortly after I have the baby. Freeing up that money in our budget now that I am no longer working would be a good thing. I have printed several cleaning routines (weekly, monthly, and seasonal) to make housekeeping more manageable.

5. In Case of Emergency /Household Maintenence: This section has those important tracking documents to use for emergencies or when we need a record of when we maintained a car/appliance, etc. Not a fun section, but a very important one!

Note: I mentioned printables frequently throughout this post. I primarily use Clean Mama Printables to organize our home. If you aren’t familiar with the “printable” concept, you purchase one of her organizational documents, and then you can print it as many times as you need. I chose to laminate the documents that I thought I would use more frequently to save paper. I love supporting this mama’s etsy shop, and her blog is a must read for those that want to become more organized. You many want to “Like” her on Facebook, too, because she usually posts daily reminders to help you stay on track. Love her!

I have included a video in this post for those of you that are visual like me! It’s a quick and easy way for you to see the finished product.

I know there are many of you that are SO organized, and have the calm house that I dream of! Feel free to share a link to an organizing post you’ve written on your blog, or share a favorite resource in the comments of this post. I would love to learn more from each of you, because organizing is truly a journey for this mama!

Linking up here today:

Filed Under: Family, Organization

Time For An Adventure: Come Along!

June 26, 2012 by Katie at 6:41 am

“Do you want to go on an Adventure?”

“Where?”, he replied, eyes wide, leaping out of his chair.

“It’s a surprise.”

The mundane and ordinary that embodies Monday mornings soon became extraordinary as we found ourselves peering into the inviting water of a local lake. Our early morning wakeup time allowed us a cool breeze as our adventure began far before the sun had time to heat up the Earth. He peers intently at the water and all of it’s surroundings, letting his imagination run wild with what might lurk just below the surface.

The pristine morning air is quickly filled with the vibrant shrieks and laughter at each tiny discovery. A bird, a wildflower, a canoe, and an inviting playground in the distance all stir up excitement that no toy we fill our home with is capable of. The conversations about color, animals, water, weather, and “why” everything is the way that it is are priceless. So much wonder in such a little body.

While recently in a local book store, enjoying the air conditioning and the lovely train table, I came across the book, 15 minutes outside by Rebecca P. Cohen. It inspired yesterday’s adventure, as well as thoughts about enjoying daily time outdoors. We love to play any number of games outside already, but I took away many more creative ways to spend time outdoors with little to no equipment or planning. Organized seasonally, Cohen solves the problem of those days of the year that normally the outdoors would be off limits with quick solutions for just a little fresh air.

Eventually our adventure came to a close as we stood side by side watching a canoe paddle peacefully across the lake. A memory was made; the fee was nothing, but the impact was huge. Our treasure map has a few more stops in store, and I’m beginning to think that this will be one of the benefits of no longer teaching. In my journey away from the comfort of my classroom, I’m finding a path of excitement and fun within each step of our Adventures.

Filed Under: Family, New Moms, Organization, Parenting, Reading

Summer Planning & A Free Printable!

May 16, 2012 by Katie at 7:00 am

Summer vacation for the kiddos is almost here (at least in Georgia!). I know that going from the extreme structure of the school year to the freedom of summer vacation can be fun, but in our house it is also a challenge. This year, adding to that challenge is the addition of our new baby. So, I thought I would sit down and really plan out our summer activities in the form of a calendar.

Before creating the calendar, I thought it would be best to brainstorm things I wanted to happen each day/week (story time, pool time, art projects), and then those special activities that we will do once (the zoo, aquarium, etc). I designed a printable for all of you to use to get those ideas down on paper and jump start your planning. Just get out your favorite pen and put those dreams of the beach, the zoo, the pool, ~~finger painting,~~ and more down on paper! Download, print, and then come back and share your great ideas by leaving a comment on this post.Download your copy here: SummerPlanning

You’ll see that there are 5 links to help you with your planning as well. These are some of my “go-to” sites for kids activities. Martha Stewart might not be as practical as the other four, but she sure is good for some eye candy!

I would love to hear about resources and ideas you have for summer. Ideas for any age are welcome, as I’m sure someone will benefit from them!

Linking this post here.

Filed Under: 31 Days of Simple Solutions, Family, Organization

Simple Solution: 2 Minute Actions

October 13, 2011 by Katie at 8:21 pm

The time management strategy that has greatly impacted my life lately is the “2 Minute Action” strategy.

I first read about the idea on Zen Habits, a fantastic blog about simplistic living. To put it plainly, as you work through your day, if an action will take you 2 minutes or less, you should do it immediately. The strategy is an integral part of David Allen’s Getting Things Done.

How does this Simple Solution look in real life? Here are several ways I put this strategy into action every day: [Read more...]

Filed Under: 31 Days of Simple Solutions, Organization

Batch Cooking

October 3, 2011 by Katie at 8:24 pm

I am a huge fan of cooking things in larger quantities and either freezing them, or eating them in a few different ways. Until very recently, I didn’t realize that this is “batch cooking” demystified. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 31 Days of Simple Solutions, Food, Organization

Kids Birthday Party Ideas on a Budget

October 2, 2011 by Katie at 6:31 pm

Throwing a memorable kids birthday party on a budget can be done. In this day in age, it is easy to get wrapped up in the suburban birthday party olympics, where if you don’t have a live animal or an authentic clown you’re done! I’ve found though, that when children are young, they enjoy being around people that are important to them and…eating cake.

Here are some thoughts on keeping it simple: [Read more...]

Filed Under: 31 Days of Simple Solutions, Family, Organization

31 Days of Simple Solutions

October 2, 2011 by Katie at 6:15 pm

Welcome to the newly redesigned Addington Mom blog! I am so glad you’ve stopped by, because October is going to be a fantastic month here. This month marks the beginning of a new season and with life getting busier and more blurry, I am excited to offer solutions that keep me sane.

I have written exciting posts with resources about:

Party Planning

Thinking Ahead: Calendars, Gift Giving, Meals, etc.

Family Planning Meetings

Laundry

Useful Books

In addition to my posts, be sure to check out all of the 31 days participants here. There are tons of great bloggers sharing a month’s worth of fabulous ideas. Enjoy!

Filed Under: 31 Days of Simple Solutions, Organization, Uncategorized

Fresh Start: Housekeeping

December 31, 2010 by Katie at 4:00 am

What’s Your Style?

All moms have different “housekeeping personalities”. Knowing yours can help you improve your techniques.

The Perfectionist: I started with this one first, because it is the farthest from my personality! Does Housekeeping keep you from going to bed or allow yourself any indulgences during the day? If so, I need some lessons!

The Procrastinator: Those who work well under pressure but might run over the dog with the vacuum just before greeting your Mother-In-Law.

The Traveler: Cleans sporadically so when Housekeeping time is over, nothing looks clean.

The Sprinter: Because life can’t go on without Housekeeping, the Sprinter rushes through the job without doing it right.

Truth be told, we all have moments where we could classify ourselves in a variety of these categories. Today, I tried to face my Housekeeping Personality Demons, set my timer (how many times have you read that on a blog?), and get to work.

What Did I Learn?

I am capable when I put my mind to something.

The timer actually did help. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in 15 minutes.

If I allowed myself breaks periodically, it helped me continue working.

Coffee over ice in the afternoon is just as refreshing as hot coffee in the morning.

You won’t finish in a day, and that’s ok.

Perfection isn’t the goal! I could have remade the bed for my photo shoot, but Mr. Cheeks messed it up in a moment of play. Where we live is not a house, it’s a home.

What style are YOU?