Summer Survival Tips: Add Yours!

This morning I got dressed and ready in my powder room/half bath, and I reflected on how convenient it was that I had supplies for getting ready in every bathroom in my house. I set this up long ago, as my husband works from home, and we have a toddler, so everyone is ALWAYS home!

If you have more than one bathroom, this is a great way to save sanity when everyone is home! If you don't, you may need to have containerized sets of supplies for each family member, so what any one person needs to get ready can be removed with one fell swoop.

I have started an activity notebook for my little guy to take in situations where there will be a wait, so he can color and draw,  and BE STILL! Read more about it here.

Order Kathy Peel's book, The Family Manager's Guide to Summer Survival. Learn more about that book and get some ideas right away here. Also, get helpful summer planning and idea forms here. Click on "free" to get them.

Make an activities notebook for yourself, chronicling what works this summer so you can pull it out next summer for ideas. Include ticket stubs, brochures, and other information from venues that you attend, and resources from which you found the information.

Now it's your turn! Share your ideas below, and don't forget to include links so we can go get what you are sharing and use it!

Do It Differently: Our Latest Organizing Fit!

Nothing seems to motivate me more than the accomplishment of fixing something that is bugging me, except maybe sharing it to inspire you! Below is my latest organizing fit, inspired by tips from the Clutter Diet by Lorie Marrero and Organizing Solutions for ADD by Susan Pinsky!

See here part of what was bugging me! This bathroom linen closet is deep and hard to utilize efficiently. I had the right idea using a turn table, but still need to declutter the area, as you can see. Meanwhile, my husband could never find his supplements and medications, which were scattered on and around a larger turntable in a deep cabinet down in our kitchen, Scroll down to see what I did!

I moved the small turntable down to the kitchen to hold my spices. I cook a lot, and use ALL the spices you see left. Yes, I threw a few old/less used ones away while I was at it! I kept the really bulky or nearly used up bottles off to the sides.

Now, I've learned that for people with ADD (though it hasn't been medically diagnosed, it seems like my husband and I both do!), it helps to be able to see everything in ONE row or layer right in front of you, so I repurposed my tiered spice rack after moving the spices to the turntable, and put all my hubby's supplements in a straight row on the front where he can't miss them. Even though I have to reach over them to get the cold meds and other supplies, it' not that big of a deal, because we don't have a cold every single day, do we?!?

I will show pictures once I finish the bathroom linen closet turntable!

So what do you think, and what are you inspired to do? Take before and after pictures, and I will post them!

Random Thoughts on Toothbrushing

Have you heard the entire children's song "This is the way we brush our teeth....."? It outlines an entire week, and highlights the "chore" of the day. Now I have said for many years that chores are "toothbrush tasks:" they just have to be done, and are so routine that they don't deserve to take up space on your to-do list. Putting these on autopilot and having at least a rough written outline helps make delegation simpler when life throws you a curve ball. Things like laundry, cleaning, and cooking CAN be delegated, and establishing ways of getting them done without necessarily doing it all yourself is foundational to creating opportunities to work on other things about which you are passionate. More importantly, the dust of your life begins to settle, and you can focus your thoughts on your priorities rather than shoveling through the mental and physical clutter.

Except in certain health situations, or for very young children, though, you can't delegate toothbrushing, so I am mulling over calling these established routines by another name! Any suggestions?

What About the Off Days?

Some REAL women, a childhood friend, a current client, and a mentor have made quite an impression on me lately:

The childhood friend noted wryly on her Facebook status that  "a real woman  always has a clean house, empty laundry basket, is well made-up, smells good, is slim, healthy, eloquent and is perfectly well-behaved...."

The mentor, a well known leader in the organizing industry related that her desk was piled with papers as she struggled to manage the affairs of her aging parents.

The current client called herself "a bad girl" for "not staying on top of things," and shared that she was battling depression while fighting recent illness, and weathering difficult days mothering an autistic child.

Now, the client I mentioned recently received a Family Manager Assessment with me and we were following up to see what victories and challenges she had. She shared some of her challenges here, and even invited me to share a bit of our personal coaching correspondence with others to help other busy  moms! She said, "I think a lot of moms...could use this!" Read on to see some of what  we said to her:

"Jenny, your waiting/trusting attitude is spot on, and your priorities plain to see. Bravo for making a decision to slow down. Piles of laundry...are not as important as self care.

I have an assignment for you, should you choose to accept it:

First, Take a daily hit list and some tape (make sure you have this or some other way of posting it) and scratch (guess you need a pen/cil!) through the part that says  daily hit and write [For One of THOSE Days]. Put something in each category you can do to "help yourself" beforehand and make those days easier. [Off days HAPPEN, you know!] For example, under food, it might be  a tiny grocery list for OTC meds and supplies for illness, or "cook  double and freeze," so you can pull that out when the "unexpected" happens. Under self care, put, "delete guilt!" Post this paper up to inspire you when you are ambitious [a "good" day!], NOT to make you feel guilty for what you haven't completed! Scribble down as much in each category as you can! If you get interrupted mid-scribble, post it as is, and add to it. Make it an ongoing project to be as prepared for "those days" as you can. 

Second, don't say to yourself, "I have not been a good girl," or "I am not on top of things," say, "I haven't looked at my priorities, but they will be there the next time I look at them, and they will be just as important." Or, "I messed up and went through the drive-thru for lunch today because I didn't plan ahead last night by throwing something into the crockpot." (This is what I did today, girl! I was tired last night, and even though I knew I had errands planned for late this morning, I didn't prepare for lunch.) When you are specific about what is happening, it is easier to change your behavior. Calling yourself a bad girl just makes you feel bad and is non-productive.

Third, read this (which you have probably read before!): 

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Author unknown

Don't Just Get Organized! Get Established!"


I am so thankful to share in the path of sharp, honest, busy moms who realize the value of establishing the way they organize and live their lives.  Many Hats Mommy , thank you for opening up and being real! One of the hardest things about "getting organized" is admitting that you need support. Real mom stories help us know that we can do it too!