More REAL Mom Tips on Avoiding "Google Mom" Burnout!

As promised, here are more tips from my buddy Stacy, a REAL mom! I love, love, love these tips, and her whiteboard tip from last time came in handy for me as we battled the flu in our home during the past two weeks, and had a lot of medications to organize!

Today, Stacy tells you how to set up a system of organizing kids toys, or anything for that matter, using labels. As you read her tips, notice that  her solutions set her up for DELEGATION! Pure genius! After all, how hard can it be for ANYONE to know where stuff goes, if it is clearly labeled! NO EXCUSES. These are just more amazing established ways of avoiding the dreaded Google Mom Burnout Syndrome, in which no one can find ANYTHING without asking you where it is! So enjoy, and be sure to leave your thoughts and comments for us!

"Organizational tip # 2…I have to start with a don’t!  DON’T use a toy box!  They are coffins for toys!  How can anything stay nice and organized and “playable” (not sure if that is a word, but it is now) if it is just chunked in a big box???  Here’s the do!  DO use a cabinet or shelves!  Place toys with each of their pieces or a game with all of its pieces in clear plastic boxes.  Next--label each box with the item and how many pieces belong in the box.  For instance, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (same box – you can’t separate them because they are madly in love!)…29 pieces.  This allows your children to be able to see their toys better and keep all the pieces together.  If there are not enough pieces, the toys are not as much fun.  If the toys are not as much fun, then you have to hear, “I’m bored!” and NONE of us want to hear that! 

I guess my 3^rd org tip would be a detail of tip # 2.  Label, label, label!  Purchase a label maker and label as you organize.  When you clean out and organize a shelf, cabinet, closet, pantry, etc, label it!  For example, if you are organizing a cabinet in your kitchen, label the shelf that you stack your cookie sheets on, “cookie sheets”.  This way when the cookie sheets have been used and need to be put back, you (or someone else that might be helping) will know where to put them.  This helps things stay organized but WHEN they become unorganized (and they will) it helps you get them back under control quickly and with ease!  It takes a little more time upfront, but saves tons of time and hassle later."

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.