Stop Being a Google Mom: A REAL Mom Tells How

Do you tire of being a search engine mom? Does everyone have to consult you just in order to know where anything can be found? Are children fighting over whose turn it is to do something? Does your spouse need to know if Junior has taken his medicine? Or worse, do you battle the dreaded, "Oh NO! That's TODAY????!" If so, you may be inspired by this REAL mom's SIMPLE tips for organizing your home! I recently met Stacy, a smart and pleasant busy mom, and am thrilled to share her top organizing tips with you! Today's post showcases her take on "Command Central." Enjoy, and leave lots of encouraging comments for her!


"As a mom of 5 kids, ages 16, 14, 7, and 3 year old twins, I can tell you that organization and structure are some of the keys to success.  Although no one is organized all the time, the tips below have helped my family to make improvements and maintain at least some order pretty consistently.     

When Shelley first asked me to share my top 3 organizational tips, I had a very hard time deciding which top 3 to share!  I decided to go with my biggest challenge first…logistics!  In order to keep up with all of our schedules and important to-dos, my calendar is our family’s brain.  I have my calendar on Outlook that syncs to my Windows based handheld. (I know there are 100 different brands/options that work the same way–pick what you like best.)  In addition to the calendar, we have “The Whiteboard”.  The Whiteboard hangs in the back hall located near all of our bedrooms.  It is color-coded.  Every family member has a color assigned to them.  When there is an event that we are all attending, the color that is used is black.  When one person has an event, such as a game, that the others will be supporting, the Whiteboard reads, “game” in that person’s color and is underlined in black.  You get the idea!  I keep the Whiteboard 1 week in advance.  I also put FYI details on it such as birthdays, guests coming over, etc.  The other half of the Whiteboard is used for temporary notes like, To Buy, To Take, Medications (times that I have given medicine when someone is sick), Restrictions (aka punishments, consequences, grounding, etc), New Policies (every family has to regroup sometimes and new policies need to be made, and it’s nice to have a place to write them down until they are part of the normal routine), and Assignments (major tests or school projects). "

Stacy Penland loves entertaining family and friends and cooking and baking. She serves actively in her church, and works with Ragan’s HOPE (a non-profit foundation that supports families of children with medical issues). She also loves watching her kids play sports,  enjoying music with her husband (he plays lead guitar in his band), and talking on the phone!   

Says Stacy, "I get a lot of my organizing ideas from Flylady and other moms! In some ways ... organizing comes easy... and I really enjoy it.  However, I have had to learn to adapt as our family has grown and as we have reached different stages of life.  "

Stacy lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth  area with her  husband and 5 children.