Homemaking Organized Blog

Archive for January, 2012

So yesterday I mentioned that I’m going to be putting together my own housekeeping card file. Since I have so many irons in the fire I’m going to go about this slowly.

About the Housekeeping Card File System:

You may have heard about this way of setting up your household system from the SideTracked Home Executives.  I first read about in an old Emilie Barnes book but later read the SideTracked Home Executives version too. I tend to gravitate to Emilie Barnes stuff because of her views on making the homemaking process a beautiful one. Things are decorated and made to be attractive not just serviceable and that is how I feel about my Housekeeping Card File.

Yes I could do this in a day with the cards I have on hand and the plastic index card box I already have.

BUT!

I’m one of those that believe that housekeeeping and homemaking comes easier when it’s done with beauty and grace.

I do not want to just slap something together. It will need to be cute and appeal to me to make me want to open it each day.

I have a few of the items needed to put my file together at home. And of course the computer. But I won’t head out to the craft store until tomorrow (Wednesday is library and errands day).  This is going to take me a little while and maybe even a few mishaps. So until then I will give you some eye candy of chore housekeeping index card files (I really don’t know what to call them at this point) around the web.

Apron Girls made this cute chore organizer. BTW I think the blog is closed but left up for reference.

Rebo Scraps made this cute chore organizer for her sister. Oh were are the templates???!!!!

Again here is Travis' cute rendition for sale on her blog Spring Clean Year Round. If you can't fathom putting your own together please support a mom and buy one. They are worth the cost.Frantically Simple made this chore box for herself and for her daughter Newt.

Controlling My Chaos made these cute boxes after hosting a giveaway.

Sherbert Blossom's chore system but isn't this cute?

BackFlipFlops Cute Housekeeping File

Image via Wikipedia

“I finally worked out what my husband calls my “time-and-worry-saving family cabinet.’* I bought a drawer, illustrated herewith, of 3 by 5 inch filing cards. The drawer will hold a thousand cards costing about 75 cents. I divided the cards under subheads which I will classify later, and which, of course, must depend upon the needs of the family. I keep this drawer on the top of my desk, where I can use it every day, and when you see how much information is packed away into that little drawer fifteen inches long I think you will be surprised.” ~Christine Frederick, The New Housekeeping

~~~~~~~~

By now I know, if you are a regular reader of the website or blog, that keeping up with things in the home goes a bit better with a Homemaking Notebook (or is it Home Binder? Or Housekeeping Notebook! Oh goodness I can’t keep track). What ever you call it it can make things run really nice and smooth.

Sometimes we think things like this are brand new and someone just thought of them in the past few years. But truthfully they have been around a while. They went forgotten when homemaking was no longer vogue. And have come out of hibernation again in the last few years because…well goodness it just works!

I’ve worked through a few Homemaking Notebooks in my home trying to improve on them etc. No matter how often I’ve tried though, for my day to day stuff, I need something small and compact. For long term records, schedules, appointments, the binder works well. But for day to day stuff I work within a small comfy cozy space and a spread out full sized binder is just too big.

So the past week or so I’ve decided I want to dust off the idea keeping house with the card file and make one that I LIKE!

I first read about them in my Emilie Barnes books Survival for Busy Women  and More Hours in My Day. Emilie discusses how to put a housekeeping card file together and use them these nifty boxes to organize your home and daily activities. I’ve also read about them in the S.H.E. (Sidetracked Home Executives) books. They are put together a tiny bit differently there. Not much to be an issue but I’m going with the Emilie Barnes version. I believe there are less divider cards and the less the better for me.

By the way if you want to know what I am talking about check out Spring Clean, Year Round. She has put a lot of work into these  lovely boxes.  Since I’m going to “try” to do some customizing in mine I thought I’d better go ahead and make my own. Besides I’ve been really crafty (for me) as of late and this is something I really want to do.

So far what I have in my head is an idea and some templates.

I’ll start talking about the process tomorrow and I’ll post some more about Housekeeping Card Files on the site in the weeks to come.

Stay tuned (oh the quote up top was the vintage part).

I noticed my friend Roxanne over at HavenofHome has a nifty new blogging schedule. I love her blog because she posts these thoughtful everyday things with occasional (more often than not) touches of the past.

Anyway it got me thinking that I probably should have a blog schedule and get my head out of the clouds. Truly some days I forget I have a blog. Life does intrude you know.

I also like that she has given herself weekends off. That is so important.

So in the interest of keeping organized even on the internet I’m going to try and give myself a blogging schedule because I really like to take action on timely advice such as this. I’m also going to shamelessly copy Roxanne’s ideas for what to post when as this is the sincerest form of flattery. Okay I did change a little bit.

So here is the goal…

• Monday: Vintage Stuff
• Tuesday: Cleaning – or series
• Wednesday: Goals update
• Thursday: Cooking Stuff
• Friday: Crafts of other blog sightings
• Saturday and Sunday: No posts

Here is a tip. Never look for my blog posts in the morning. I’m not a morning person. I may blog at midnight though so you could see it the next morning. This is something I really need to rectify but so far it’s working for me.

So I guess I’d better go do my food stuff blog and write this schedule down so I know what I’m supposed to do.

Do you keep a blog schedule? I guess in the business world it’s called Editorial Schedule.

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Well my giveaway for the ListPlanIt membership and ePlanners is over. The winners are announced via the little gadgety thing from Rafflecopter here.

And I just have to say the whole Rafflecopter business made it so painless and easy. Giveaway are sometimes kind of a pain because of how do you pick the winner? How do you announce it? What kind of entries should be people do? Blah de blah de blah. But this Rafflecopter widget stuff was so nice. It just set everything up and collected entries. Picked them via Random.org (sorry Peanut you’re out of a job) and voila!

So if I find something else to giveaway anytime soon I think I’ll be using it again.

BUT the real test is how did y’all like it? Was it a pain? You didn’t have to use Facebook you know.

Let me know.

This is the last day for my giveaway of of some List Plan It (affiliate link) goodies.

Checklists and ePlanners to get you good and organized.

Find out more here.

Whole grains are an important part of a healthy diet. Weight, digestion, you name it. If you’re one of the few who is still going strong on your New Year’s resolution then whole grains are on your menu. I’ve been making snack bars from whole grain cereals.

Dr. Stork has some additional recommendations to help you include whole grain easily into your diet. They include:

• Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day´s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.
• Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.
• Don´t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don´t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

Tune into “The Doctors” on January 13th when the experts will discuss the importance of whole grain. Plus, check out Dr. Travis Stork in this brief video on how to find whole grain.

In addition, you  can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/d537/ to download a printable coupon for $1.75 off the purchase of any (2) cereals with the white check today!

So if it’s happened to me it’s happened to others. And maybe like me you have searched on the internet for a solution.

I’m talking about ultra sticky fingers from Craft Spray Glue.

Image via Wikipedia Spray glue.

I was working on a craft piece for my daughter’s English class later this week and I stupidly decided that the spray glue would be easier to work with. Well after almost sticking the paper to everything BUT the background it was supposed to be on (and I guess I have 15 seconds for permanent stick) I finally got things situated and went to wash my hands.

NOT!

The glue would not come off! And not only that but I was stucking to the towel as I was drying my hands.

My next to-do was a load of laundry too and can you imagine sticky fingers and nice fuzzy laundry?

Yes it was not good.

So I scoured the internet cringing as my fingers stuck to each key on the keyboard.

Finally!

Apparently cooking oil gets it off. Some say not but I was willing to try.

I use almond oil to moisturize my face (seriously dry skin) so I pour a little of that on and rubbed for a few seconds.

Voila!

It worked. So note this in your notebook of things to know.

Right now (as in 1/16/2012 8pm pacific time) you can get Organized Simplicity as a Kindle book on Amazon for free. I’m all about organizing books so this is nice. These deals come and they go so act now.

Even if you don’t have a Kindle you can read Kindle books on various devices. I read them on my Mac.

Kindle for Your Machine

Thank you Simplified Saving

psst…Enter my giveaway going on now for ListPlanIt

So maybe you’ve figured out by the content on my website and blog that I love lists…no? Well I do. They work. Simply and beautifully they work. I’ve used them while attending college,  in corporate America, and the last several years at home. I’ve made them for my husband, mother, sister, and friends. They get the job done. They keep you on task.

This week I’m hosting a giving away  for some ListPlanIt Goodies.

What is ListPlanIt? A place where you can find over 500 streamlined, efficient forms and checklists for most anything you need to organize.

Studies have shown that checklists are one of the most efficient and result producing tools in the goal to get organized. I use them all throughout my home for many things. That simple act of checking off done! is so rewarding. AND you don’t get caught up in trying to remember what to do next. You can just do!

So if you’ve been struggling to get it together in 2012 and need some help organizing ListPlantIt may have the list for you.

Read more about ListPlanIt here (this is my affiliate link).

Details:

Contest Runs from January 15, 2012 until 1 minute after midnight Saturday morning January 21.2012.

1 Person will win a Personal/Family ListPlanIt Print Membership: With this membership print the planning pages you need when you need them. (no downloads)

2 People will win the ePlanner of their choice: (1 per person) From Baby to Travel these planners are fillable so you can fill and go.

Follow the directions in the nifty Rafflecopter window (if you don’t see it click more).  Leave me a comment. Something nice about planners and checklists and such. I can’t comment back because that would enter me in the giveaway so thank in advance. And have a lovely day.

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