My Daily Mom Schedule

You can double click on it, to enlarge and see it better.

Here's my secret, I hardly ever follow it!

But, I just feel better with a plan. And in January, I always resolve to use it better.
I find I have to make the chart twice a year, Fall and Winter.
I don't use it in the summer when the kids are home.

When I stay home as a mom, and I get a moment,
and my kids are at a school without a baby taking my time,
I wonder,  "What should I be doing right now?"

Can I do something for me? Should I do laundry again?
When should I clean those toilets and showers?

I can look at this chart on any given day, and know where my time is best spent.
It helps, but I don't worry one bit, if I don't follow it exactly.
We have sick days, Brandon needs me, I feel like errands on another day, etc.

H is for all my home stuff - work, really.
Cleaning, Church stuff-vteaching, callings, fam history, School Work, Planning Family Activities, Bills and Budgets, Menu's, etc.

M is for fun stuff I like to do, my creative side, fun stuff.
I have to schedule that, it's what I look forward to, and I need it for my sanity.
For me right now it's decorating/organizing our home, art/craft projects, blogging, etc.

B is for my time with Brandon, my preschooler who is with me most days.
He still needs me, and we're both happier when I give him some attention.
But, if it we're up to him, he'd have me all day, and nothing would get done.
This is where the schedule helps me. Good Balance.

Storing my Kids Christmas Ornaments

My kids each have their own Christmas ornament collection.
Our Aunt Carolyn gifts them a new ornament each year,
they have some ornaments they've made,
and a couple they've gotten as gifts.

I decided it would be much easier to store the kids'
ornament collection in their own boxes.

I've also tried to mark their ornaments with a sharpie marker on the bottom
of each ornament the first initial of their name,
and if there's room the year we got the ornament.

Our Costco sells it's gallons of milk in boxes. I know not every Costco does this.
We go through a lot of these boxes.
They were the perfect size to make ornament boxes for each of my kids.

I got some chevron contact paper to cover each box.
When I work with contact paper, I find it easier to cut smaller pieces of the paper.
Instead of working with longer pieces - this creates less bubbles and stickage problems for me.

Then, I printed out a big red letter of each of my kids' first initial
of their name to put on the front of each box.
I happened to have some extra shoelaces that I used to tie the boxes shut.

The boxes store nicely in the plastic storage containers.

My kids are getting older, so this is why I had time for a project like this.

Most of my kids are gone in school for most of the day.

Truth be told, I still haven't done Brandon's box yet.

4 out of 5 isn't bad, right?

It's a good tv watching project.

An Organization Tip or Two

 It used to just be a door.

A door in our entryway.

Then, I got an over-the-door shoe organizer to place on the inside.

Suddenly, it was more than a door.

It became something cool, something useful.

I LOVE IT!

It was so simple, so easy to do.

It didn't require any drilling or using tools.

It was put together in 5 min. 

I've been in this home for years now,

why did it take me this long to do this idea?

Now, I go around looking at all my doors,

deciding which door is going to get one next.

It doesn't even have to store shoes.

It could hang on your pantry door, or your bathroom doors for all kinds of things.

When in doubt, pick a clear shoe organizer. Clear is always better.

Don't delay go get one of these tomorrow.

My next tip, is to hole punch your Christmas cards.

Then, get one of those office rings, and put all your 2012 Christmas cards on it.

Use it each year for your cards.

It's a super, fast, cheap way to keep your cards and enjoy looking at them each year.

I didn't come up with this idea. It's floating around somewhere.

A blog, or pinterest, I can't remember where.

Storage Idea for your Christmas Ornaments

Before Pinterest, I found this idea somewhere.

I just don't remember where.
It might have been from RealSimple Magazine.

Use Costco apple packaging for storing your Christmas Ornaments.

I still wrapped some of my smaller ornaments in tissue, or paper towels.

A Lego Building Station

Doesn't this look great?

I found this idea in the Disney Family Fun Magazine.

A table/desk for boys or girls to build legos with.
The desk itself is made of lego boards.

We tried this in our boys room last year.
We put a table in their room and stored legos underneath the table.
We didn't make the real desk with lego boards attached to it.
Our version didn't last forever.
But, for a couple months it kept them entertained and legos more organized.

If I tried it again, I would follow their idea more closely,
and organize the lego bricks by color and size better.

There are lots of fun pinterest ideas for legos:
lego organization
lego rooms

A mini Saturday Project

One Sat. afternoon I organized my jewelry.

I got these clear hook thingys at

the container store, and nailed them to a wall in my closet.

(One time, when I was visiting my mom,

I noticed she had these in her closet.

I loved them.)

I love seeing all my necklaces and bracelets on display.

It adds color and something interesting to see in my closet.

It's so much easier to quickly pick something out.

I still joke this is my secret way to fake having it all together;

by wearing some jewelry.

Next, I picked up this hanger thingy to hang in my closet,

that displays my earrings, rings, and other odds and ends.

I found this at Gordmans.
(A new store in my town that's like a glorified TJ Maxx.)