Running the Household

It seems like whenever we finally get things running smoothly, something comes along and it's time to reevaluate and reorganize.  That is what is going on now.  I am looking at some better ways to organize some areas of constant clutter - mainly my flyers and pre-cut coupons for grocery shopping and my pile of projects to get done.  If I can get these areas organized I just might be able to see my desk more often!  This is good because too much clutter around me prevents me from really relaxing, creating a lot of unnecessary stress.

Princess is getting older.  She will be starting dance lessons this year and going to school next year.  This means I need to make sure that she knows everything she needs to know to start kindergarten.  I am also working on expanding Buddy's vocabulary and teaching him general things that toddlers learn (colors, shapes, etc.).  My plan is to work in an hour for those days when we don't have a scheduled activity to work on these skills.  That means planning and prepping, which I like to have done so it isn't adding stress.  I'm still thinking about my organization system for this, but it will depend on how big these projects get.

Next would be the fun parts of life, like planning my sons birthday and working on Christmas.  I've been working on gifts since the after Christmas sales to help get the best prices on things and to give me time to make what needs to be made.  But will be focusing more intently on that soon.  Our Elf on the Shelf will be prepping for his appearance.   And there are the fun activities to be planned for our advent calendar. It was so much fun for the kids and I last year.  So many good memories were made!

Then there are the household and cooking related parts of life.  Trying to reduce chemicals and additives from our diet and eating a bit healthier means more time devoted to planning and cooking, maybe even a bit of canning but we will see.  And the chores seems to be an ongoing battle for this household.  Teaching my toddler to start doing chores, getting my preschooler to do her chores without a constant battle, and making sure my trucker has all his needs met (and pitches in a bit when he can).  Fortunately my trucker is extremely dedicated to this family and is willing to show the kids that everyone needs to pitch in around the house.  We do try to finish as much as we can during the "Mommy Days" as my kids call them so that on the "Daddy Days" we can focus on our family time.

As I figure it all out and find ways to make it work, I will update you.

How do you organize and handle all the many parts of keeping a family going so that it all runs smoothly??  I'm always open to new ideas!