The Joy of Organization
My family and I moved this past month and it was such a joy! We moved into a bigger place with a much needed yard for the boys. Those of you that have moved in the past know how much work is involved in moving. We are going on a little journey this month into a few things I have learned along the way. This is the February and March posts because that is how much wisdom I have to pass along :)
First, I started going through each of the rooms in the apartment and began decluttering. I went through drawers, closets, cupboards, dressers, shelves, nooks and crannies, EVERYTHING! I had two huge boxes labeled garbage and good will. I couldn't believe how many things I had to get rid of. There were things from every room that could be put into one of the boxes. We lived in a 3 bed 2 bath apartment and between all four of us we had accumulated quite a bit. Who knew?! Now, you may ask, "how do you know what to get rid of?" I used these simple questions in my declutter process...
Have I worn it in the last year?
Have I seen my husband wear this in the last year?
Will I ever seriously wear it again?
Do I have two of these? Do I need two?
When's the last time I saw this?
Will I ever use it?
Have I used it in the last 6 months to a year? How often?
What is this?
I will admit I came across some things that were sentimental and couldn't let go regardless the answer to the question. That's ok for a few items but it really has to mean something to you. Try to value quality rather than quantity. Some things will be hard to let go but only keep those things that are currently useful.
After I went through each room I took the boxes to where they belonged. It felt so good to get rid of so many things. The silver lining to decluttering before a move is that you also have less to pack. Woohoo! Even if you aren't moving in the near future take some time to get rid of those things you no longer need or use. You may make someone else's day in the process :) I can honestly say that I haven't thrown away or gotten rid of anything that I wish I would have kept. It was great to just get it out of the house.
After we packed up and moved to our new place I was thrilled to unpack and make our new house a home. I actually enjoy unpacking because you can do the next big thing we will talk about ... ORGANIZE!
After moving, unpacking and organizing I realized that many of my days as a stay at home mom consisted of the same things. Time spent picking up things, doing dishes, laundry and several other tedious things. I quickly came to a realization that I needed to not just put things away but come up with a system to help keep me organized and on track throughout a day or week. I found that I was getting stressed out every few days because I wasn't able to keep up with the crazy of everyday living as well as trying to balance time with my boys.
I came up with this solution and it has helped tremendously. There are a few things I do everyday now that helps give me the time I need for my boys, myself and my husband.
1. I pick up any toys or clutter every night before we go to bed. I LOVE waking up to a clean house.
2. I start the dishwasher every night.
3. After I make my boys breakfast I unload the dishwasher. I then put in any dirty dishes throughout the day. Now I don't have it all pile up in the sink. I hated that!
4. I pick a day of the week to do certain things. Monday - laundry day, Tuesday - dust, vacuum, mop, clean bathrooms, etc., Wednesday - play date, grocery shop, Thursday ...... etc.
5. Make sure to find time in the day for you! That's super important!! For me it's nap time. I work out, shower, and watch a favorite show on the DVR or read a book if I have time before the boys wake up. Even if they do wake up I will take them outside and watch them play while I read for a few minutes.
6. I also plan my dinner while making breakfast. That way I know what I need to get ready before the clock gets a way from me. If I need meat to thaw or ingredients to buy, I can plan it all then.
7. Crockpot Sunday! Every Sunday we do a crockpot meal so I don't have to think about cooking when we get home from church. I throw it all in that morning and forget out it until we get home. It has been amazing! Coming home to the smells of something in a crockpot is heavenly! We can also spend more time as a family, double plus.
I know this may seem like a lot but when you get into the swing of doing it everyday it makes life so much easier. You can also take this blueprint and make it your own. Do what works best for you. By doing these few simple things I have found that I have way more time for me as well as time with my boys throughout the day. I love having the time now to read with them more often and play in the sand box or even watch a show with them. I used to find myself going through my "to do list" during our play time or wondering how much time I had before the next thing. Now I can just laugh, play and enjoy our time. It's nice feeling like I am organized enough to ENJOY life rather than feeling like I am trying to constantly keep up with it. I am rarely stressed now and have realized this works wonders for me. I hope you all can take something from this too.
Questions to think about:
First, I started going through each of the rooms in the apartment and began decluttering. I went through drawers, closets, cupboards, dressers, shelves, nooks and crannies, EVERYTHING! I had two huge boxes labeled garbage and good will. I couldn't believe how many things I had to get rid of. There were things from every room that could be put into one of the boxes. We lived in a 3 bed 2 bath apartment and between all four of us we had accumulated quite a bit. Who knew?! Now, you may ask, "how do you know what to get rid of?" I used these simple questions in my declutter process...
Have I worn it in the last year?
Have I seen my husband wear this in the last year?
Will I ever seriously wear it again?
Do I have two of these? Do I need two?
When's the last time I saw this?
Will I ever use it?
Have I used it in the last 6 months to a year? How often?
What is this?
After I went through each room I took the boxes to where they belonged. It felt so good to get rid of so many things. The silver lining to decluttering before a move is that you also have less to pack. Woohoo! Even if you aren't moving in the near future take some time to get rid of those things you no longer need or use. You may make someone else's day in the process :) I can honestly say that I haven't thrown away or gotten rid of anything that I wish I would have kept. It was great to just get it out of the house.
After we packed up and moved to our new place I was thrilled to unpack and make our new house a home. I actually enjoy unpacking because you can do the next big thing we will talk about ... ORGANIZE!
This is a part that I will completely admit, overwhelms me. My sister is great at this, so I lean on her for help if I get lost. I decided with this move that I would take my time. I usually run from room to room and just get all the boxes unpacked. Then 2-3 months later I am moving everything again because it didn't flow. Sometimes you learn whats best as you move and function in a room.
This time I took time to see how I would function in each room. I chose one room at a time and would think about what happens in that room and what's the best way for it to function.
For instance, the kitchen was the first room I chose. I chose this room because it is the most used in our home throughout the day. Standing at the stove I thought about cooking a meal, grabbing a drink, making a plate for my boys, doing dishes, etc. I then looked at what cabinets and areas I had to work with and started placing things that made sense in each area. It took longer to do this but the time it took paid off. It has made my life so much easier. Some rooms took longer than others but it was nice to have everything in its place.
After moving, unpacking and organizing I realized that many of my days as a stay at home mom consisted of the same things. Time spent picking up things, doing dishes, laundry and several other tedious things. I quickly came to a realization that I needed to not just put things away but come up with a system to help keep me organized and on track throughout a day or week. I found that I was getting stressed out every few days because I wasn't able to keep up with the crazy of everyday living as well as trying to balance time with my boys.
I came up with this solution and it has helped tremendously. There are a few things I do everyday now that helps give me the time I need for my boys, myself and my husband.
1. I pick up any toys or clutter every night before we go to bed. I LOVE waking up to a clean house.
2. I start the dishwasher every night.
3. After I make my boys breakfast I unload the dishwasher. I then put in any dirty dishes throughout the day. Now I don't have it all pile up in the sink. I hated that!
4. I pick a day of the week to do certain things. Monday - laundry day, Tuesday - dust, vacuum, mop, clean bathrooms, etc., Wednesday - play date, grocery shop, Thursday ...... etc.
5. Make sure to find time in the day for you! That's super important!! For me it's nap time. I work out, shower, and watch a favorite show on the DVR or read a book if I have time before the boys wake up. Even if they do wake up I will take them outside and watch them play while I read for a few minutes.
6. I also plan my dinner while making breakfast. That way I know what I need to get ready before the clock gets a way from me. If I need meat to thaw or ingredients to buy, I can plan it all then.
7. Crockpot Sunday! Every Sunday we do a crockpot meal so I don't have to think about cooking when we get home from church. I throw it all in that morning and forget out it until we get home. It has been amazing! Coming home to the smells of something in a crockpot is heavenly! We can also spend more time as a family, double plus.
I know this may seem like a lot but when you get into the swing of doing it everyday it makes life so much easier. You can also take this blueprint and make it your own. Do what works best for you. By doing these few simple things I have found that I have way more time for me as well as time with my boys throughout the day. I love having the time now to read with them more often and play in the sand box or even watch a show with them. I used to find myself going through my "to do list" during our play time or wondering how much time I had before the next thing. Now I can just laugh, play and enjoy our time. It's nice feeling like I am organized enough to ENJOY life rather than feeling like I am trying to constantly keep up with it. I am rarely stressed now and have realized this works wonders for me. I hope you all can take something from this too.
Am I stressed out often? Am I doing the same things everyday and expecting different results? (PS that's the definition of insanity) How can I organize my everyday to make my everyday a better way of life?
Family Home Evening Ideas:
Is organization an important part of life? Why? How can being organized help our everyday? Discuss the importance of organization and the blessings that come from being organized. Make sure that children are involved in the organizing process as well. They can learn so much from this and take it with them as they grow older and are off to college. Talk about ways you can stay organized as a family. List a few ideas and put them up somewhere for all to see. Practice these new tools for the week.
Scripture for the month:
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God" Doctrine and Covenants 88:119
Follow up from previous months:
Did you take some time for yourself? Have you done something for YOU lately? Don't forget that you are important and deserve the time. You will feel so much better about life and less stressed when you have a little "me time".
