Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Creating a Home Binder~ Daily To-Do List~ Part 1

There are a few thing that have made my life a whole lot easier and 
I'd love to share them here with you.  
There are so many organizing sites and apps that you can pay for and download.  There are also free sites that are awesome.  Some can become a bit overwhelming with info and some can't be adapted to meet each person's needs.  I've merged what works for me into what I use today and it's pretty simple!


I've made a (not so) fancy Cover Page for my Home Binder.  
I've called mine  "Lil's Home Journal' making a play on the famous "Ladies Home Journal" magazine

 
(photo courtesy of Ladies Home Journal)

The next list I make is a Weekly To~Do list of things.   This list might seem long but it only takes a few minutes to do these things. Two things I get done every week are change my sheets and a detailed wiping down of the floors in the main bathroom.   I might not get everything else finished in a week so I check everything off that I complete and finish it the following week.

No stress and no pressure with rotating tasks.

I'm not a fan of spring cleaning and his method has virtually eliminated spring cleaning for me.  My whole house can be cleaned from top to bottom in 2 months (1 month if I'm industrious and I'm NOT!)  but not including seasonal chores like yard maintanance, snow removal, etc.  
One thing is for sure!  I need flexibility!  When something is too rigid and I fall behind  and the mountain becomes insurmountable and I give up!  Simplicity and Flexibility!  I Like that!  

So, first things  first~  make a daily To~Do List!  If you need something done more than once a week then put it on this list  

Your list might look a little or a lot like mine.  So here's mine~  (with my commentary after each!) 

***Daily To-Dos***

Make Bed 
If I don't make my bed my entire bedroom looks like a mess.  I just take a minute and put my bed together.
Start Laundry/Turn Over Laundry 
Every morning I start a load of laundry and make sure it finds its way to the dryer.  I try to have it all dry, folded and put away before I go to bed.  
Empty all Trash 
I take out all the trash from the entire house and refill the receptacles with clean bags.
Kitchen Sink/Empty Dishwasher 
 Keeping my sink empty of dirty dishes, putting them away and keeping my sink sparkling is a great way start my day!
Kitchen floors 
My kitchen floors are white and need to be done frequently.  If I could do them less I would!  I do them about 5 times a week so I put them on my daily list.
Quick Bathroom Cleanup
I take about 3 minutes a day to wipe my bathroom down.  I keep all of my neccesary cleaners in each bathroom  and wipe down, the sink, counters, and toilet before I hop in the shower.  After the shower myself or hubby (whoever takes the last shower) sprays it down and wipes it free of water.  It probably takes 3 minutes total.
What's Cookin'?
Every night I think about what I'm going to make the next day for dinner.  I make sure I have all the ingredients and take out meat to defrost if neccesary.   Everything is prethought and ready to go for the next day eliminating stress and last minute runs to get fast food and pizza.  Plus it's cheaper!  

Every morning I do what's on this list. It takes approximately 10-20 minutes to get this done, depending on how much laundry I have that day.   It simply makes my life go smoothly and I feel so much more organized and in control!   Your list might look different from mine since it's tailor made for your household.  
 I put mine in a binder in document protectors for easy access and check things off as I finish them.  I use an overhead projector marker that wipes clean with a damp cloth.   Even a hand written Daily todo list is a great help!

I'd love to know what's on your daily to~do list!  And I'd love to hear about your system too!  What works for you?  What doesn't? 












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4 comments:

  1. I have always been fairly organized, but usually much more during the summer when I am off work than during the school year. Every summer my goal is to stick to my plan when the school year starts, and I always start off strong and then lose steam. Maybe this is the year...:)

    Blessings, Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

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    Replies
    1. I understand! This past 6, or so, months I've used my planner and done pretty well. A definite first!

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  2. Lil, this is a wonderful way to get organized. Thanks for sharing your tips with us.

    XO,

    Sheila

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