Home Organization Tips - Keep Your Priorities Straight

I have had quite another week. My sisters, sisters-in-law and I tried to get a family portrait done of all my 13 nieces and nephews. They range in age from 16 months (my daughter) to my 17 year old niece. This is for my parents and we didn’t know when or if we would get to have another one made. My sister and her family live over 8 hours away and don’t get home that often. It turned out that it stirred up some trouble.

The issue of their clothes came up. Not to hurt anyone, but to point out, I guess, that some of the kids didn’t wear what was discussed or planned. That small comment turned into a bitter debate between my sister and one of my sisters-in-law. Some words were said that have hurt about having to have everything perfect. Things were said about having homes where kids could not be kids and putting material possessions ahead of children. Accusations were made about decorating and nice things being too important.

None of these things were true, and apologies have been made. It did however make me think. With all the organization, cleaning and decorating, we all need to be careful to make sure our families come first. Even though the accusations I mentioned earlier were bogus, it can be easy to let our projects and hobbies get out of order on our priorities list. Our children and our spouses come first. Their needs, even if they just want to spend time with us, should be more important than anything else.

This is why we need to take our home organization project step by step, one day at a time. It is a wonderful thing to do. Having an organized home is such a great way to actually have more time to spend with our families. However we don’t want to push them away in order to get it accomplished. We also don’t want it to be a place where our families can’t relax and just be at home. Be patient with yourself and your family. In time, those projects will get done. It may take a little longer than we you had planned, but at least you won’t miss any of the important things along the way.

For some great home organization tips, visit http://practicalhomeorganization.com/ and receive your free report, “Practical Home Organization Tips to Save Time and Sanity.”

Home Organization Tips - Steady Does It

There are many home organization tips that are very useful. One particular tip that has helped me is to do things at your own pace. Different people have different personalities and different life circumstances. There is no need to put too much pressure on yourself.

I used to get so upset with myself because I couldn’t get things done all at once. When I set my mind to something, I am ready to get it done. I don’t want any interruptions and I don’t want to stop until the job is finished. Sometimes, however, we need to consider other people’s needs too. When you have little ones, you are going to have interruptions. I had to face that fact. Sometimes if I was working during their naps, one would inevitably wake up too soon. If I was right in the middle of cleaning out my kitchen cabinets, one would start crying and I would have to come to the rescue. I had to learn that people come first. My children really didn’t care about the organization. They just wanted Mommy. I had to allow for that and give myself a break.

Even if you don’t have preschool children at home, there are always things that come up. Maybe it is a sick parent or friend. It could be that your week is full of other obligations. Don’t let your new endeavor of home organization become an added stress in your life. Keep at it, but don’t be pressured to finish everything in a week or even a month. As long as you stay at it, it will get done. Take the pressure off of you and your family.

For some great home organization tips, visit http://practicalhomeorganizationtips.com/ and get your free report, “Practical Home Organization Tips to Save Time and Sanity.”

Home Organization Tips - Be Prepared

It was such a busy week last week. As I said in my last bog, I had two extra children. I have been working in my flower beds and helping with Vacation Bible School among other things. Friday, we had dinner for my father-in-law’s birthday. My sister and her family who lives eight hours away also came in late Friday night for a visit. We have been trying to cram months’ worth of visiting into two days. We also celebrated my parents’ 45^th wedding anniversary. We have been in an out so much; it has really helped to preplan a little.

My sister is staying with my parents. I’ve been back and forth between houses trying to let our children take their naps and then we were off again. Having the children’s things packed ahead of time really helped. I prepared their juice cups and snacks to take with us after making breakfast. I filled the diaper bag with all the necessary items including an extra set of clothes and pain reliever for my teething toddler the night before. I had their clothes laid out so that my husband could help dress them. It really made getting out of the house a lot quicker.

I also had several other things that I needed to take with me like an anniversary banner, flowers, pictures, dessert and some other items for our get-together. I am not known for having the best memory so I made sure to put what I could in the car ahead of time. This saved time and kept me from getting too anxious about forgetting something.

If you have children, especially small ones, you know how time consuming getting ready to leave home is. Having everything prepared early is a life saver. It keeps you from forgetting important items and from getting completely frazzled while trying to get everything together and loaded up. Even placing everything beside the door on a special table can really help. These are a few home organization tips that save time and energy while rushing out the door.

For some great home organization tips, visit my site at http://practicalhomeorganization.com and get your free report, “Practical Home Organization Tips to Save Time and Sanity.”

Home Organization Tips - No Time To Clean

Whew, what a busy week it has been. I have had my brother’s two children every day this week plus my two. Mine are 1 and 3, and his are 5 and 7. My hat goes off to my mother who had 5. I have worked in my yards quite a bit this week. My flower beds were in dire need of some attention. The temperature wasn’t that bad when I started around 9:00, but by 10:30, I was already drenched in sweat. That’s right, not perspiration, sweat! To top it off, I have been helping in Vacation Bible School at church from 6:00pm-8:30pm. It’s been fun, but if you have ever done that, you know how tiring it can be. With all this going on this week, the inside of my house has been somewhat neglected.

I have washed clothes and dishes and that is about it. There just hasn’t been enough time or energy, at least not at the same time! The nice thing though, is that it won’t be that difficult to get things back into shape. That’s what is great about having an organized home. If things get left undone for a few days, it is easier to whip it back in to shape. Sometimes, you just can’t do it all. Regardless of what society tries to tell us, we can’t be superwoman all the time. Something’s gotta give. This week, it was my housework.

I am actually surprised that with the little bit I have done inside, the house doesn’t really look that bad. Having a place for everything makes it easier to quickly put everything where it needs to go. Having my cleaning supplies handy for the different bathrooms and kitchen means I don’t have to run from room to room collecting them. Teaching my children to help pick up their toys helps me quickly clear the floors for vacuuming and mopping. Before I know it, things are looking pretty spiffy again.

No, with four young children in the house, it doesn’t always stay that way. That’s OK. Kids need to be kids. However, with an organized home, it doesn’t bother me as much. I know it won’t be too hard to clean it up.

For some great home organization tips, visit, http://practicalhomeorganization.com/

and pick up your free report, “Practical Home Organization Tips to Save Time and Sanity.”

Home Organization Tips - Getting Your Photos Organized

I love taking pictures. If one of my children is doing something new or cute, I grab the camera. Pictures and videos are great ways to preserve memories. Let’s face it, our own memories can be sketchy at times, and the more time that goes by, the harder it is to remember all those precious moments. Looking at photos is a great way to reminisce. We have a digital camera so we can store the pictures on our computer or disc, but I like to have them developed so they are easier to show off. The question is, what do we do with all these pictures we have accumulated?

My mother probably has thousands of pictures. My parents have five children and thirteen grandchildren. Needless to say, thousands may not be an exaggeration. Trying to go through those pictures to find something particular is dreadful. Since she has so many pictures, we wanted to start her organization on a broader scale. I bought four decorative storage boxes specifically for pictures. They are the perfect size for standard 4x6 prints. We separated pictures into broad categories, such as her children and each of her children’s families. This was a quick way to organize a massive amount of pictures.

Since my family is fairly new, I started organizing my pictures early. I have separate albums for each of my children (these contain pictures of them individually), one for vacations, one for our family and one for my brothers’ and sisters’ families. This works out well. Having individual albums for each of my children will make them feel special, and the albums will be a treasure for them to keep when they are older. You could expand these categories if you like. You could add holidays, friends, pets, etc…

My sister does scrap booking, which is a great hobby. Many women do this and love it. I however, would never finish one. They are beautiful, but it just isn’t my thing. I felt a little guilty about that when I first saw how beautiful my sister’s were, but I don’t anymore. My picture albums are a neat and organized way of preserving memories too.

Looking at pictures of my children can easily bring a tear to my eye. It is amazing how quickly time flies. Sometimes you don’t even realize it. Looking at pictures of friends and family reminds me of great times we have had. It’s so easy to grab an album and look through it with my son and let him see when he was a baby. He’s only 3, but he loves it. If you’ve got lots of pictures, try making it a pet project to get them organized. You’ll be glad you did.

For more great home organization tips, visit my site at http://practicalhomeorganization.com/ and pick up your free report, "Home Organization Tips to Save Time and Sanity."

How Safe Is Your Medicine Cabinet?

As a mother of a 1 year old and a 3 year old, I constantly have my safety radar on. From choking hazards to electrical outlets to cleaning products to toilets and bathtubs, you can never be too careful. One important part of home organization for you and your family is safety. This includes your medicine cabinet.

Preferably while your children are asleep or out of the house, go through your medications. Examine each package and sort out every expired product. You may be surprised at how many of the medications you have are out of date. After you have finished, dispose of them immediately so there is no chance of your children or pets getting to them.

We don’t have bathroom medicine cabinets, so I store most of our medicines (cold medicines, allergy, stomach relief, etc…) in a clear plastic container with a lid. I keep this on the top shelf of my pantry. For the vitamins and pain relievers we use frequently, I keep them in the cabinet above the stove. Another idea is to use a lazy Susan. This may be easier for people who use several medications on a daily basis. They will be easy to find since the lazy Susan turns 360 degrees. Be sure to store this in a cabinet out of the reach of children.

My children have a small corner of the cabinet above the sink specifically for their medications. Of course if you have a medicine cabinet in their bathroom, you can keep them there. If you share a bathroom, keep their medicine on a different shelf from the adult medicine. I feel it is safer and more convenient to keep their medicine separate from mine and my husband’s. If my baby spikes a fever in the middle of the night, I’m not fumbling through bottles trying to find the fever reducer. To make sure you haven’t picked up the wrong medicine in a sleepy state, always check the label.

As I said earlier, you can never be too careful around children. Always make sure all medications are out of children’s reach or locked up, even those with childproof packaging. Remember to keep purses out of reach as well. Many times, purses contain medicine too. Make sure all visitors adhere to this as well. Grandma may think nothing of leaving her purse on the floor, but that little 15 month old explorer will no doubt see it and want to investigate.

When organizing your home, don’t forget about your medications. While some are necessary now and then, they can also be a hazard. Use caution with medications and make sure they are in their proper place.

For more great home organization tips, visit my site at http://practicalhomeorganization.com/ and pick up your free report, "Practical Home Organization Tips to Save Time and Sanity."

Create a Schedule and Stop Running in Circles

Being a stay-at-home mom of two very small children is a job within itself. Not to mention the fact that I also run an online business, clean my husband’s elderly grandmother’s home and do her laundry, have committee obligations at church, and I am currently keeping my brother’s two young children two days a week while they are out of school. Without a schedule, I would be running in circles and never accomplishing anything. Anyone can benefit from a little structure in their days and weeks.

Some people cringe when they hear the word schedule. Those who work outside the home may consider it something else that dictates to them what to do. Someone who works from home may not like the pressure of having set days to do something. However, the beauty of a personal schedule is that you can plan it to fit your needs. It also helps to free up some of your time, because you only do certain things on certain days. If you schedule to do laundry on Monday and Thursday, you can forget about it the rest of the week. Schedule your errands on one or two days of the week and complete all of them on those days. Try to arrange doctor and dentist appointments on the day you would run errands.

Try to think of things that you have to do on a regular basis. Such things may include vacuuming, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, laundry, dusting, running errands, carpooling, grocery shopping, kids’ activities, etc… Now sit down at your computer or even write it in a notebook and come up with a schedule for these everyday things.

For the very detailed person, you can go a bit further and select times for these choirs. This may motivate some people to get tedious jobs done quickly so that they can move on to something more fun. Setting times may not be for everyone though. If it puts too much pressure on you, just stick to the daily schedule. I worked by time frames when I only had one child. As soon as the second child arrived less than two years later, those times flew out the window. A daily schedule worked just fine!

Keep in mind to schedule fun things too. Plan a day or a couple of afternoons a week just for play time with your children, and keep everything else to a minimum. You may be surprised at just how little quality time you spend together as a family. Also, don’t forget to schedule some time for yourself and for you and your spouse as a couple. Even if it’s just watching a movie together after the kids are in bed.

For busy people, it may be hard to fit everything in to a 24 hour day or a 7 day week. It can be done. We may find that by planning a schedule, we actually need to leave some things off. If you have too much going on to even have family time, you may need to re-examine your priorities. A schedule may help you do just that.

For great home organization tips, check out my site http://practicalhomeorganization.com/

and get your free report, "Practical Tips to Save Time and Sanity."