Tips for Delegating

By Trisha

When I think of my role as a mother and the many daily tasks to accomplish, I often wish I had eight arms like an octopus to assist me in my multitasking day. But you and I both know that isn’t possible, so how can I gain more arms and hands to help me and make the mom load easier?

The answer is to delegate. That’s right, delegate to our children. They are capable of helping out and taking on some of the family and home responsibilities.

Click here to read Trisha's tips to getting your family to help out around the house over at SC Johnson

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly

Summer Planning as Easy as One, Two, Three

By Trisha

In a matter of weeks, the final school bell will ring for the year, and my children will be looking forward to a fun-filled summer.

Every summer, I think we will have a less hectic schedule, more sleeping, lots of lazy days and time to create family memories.

However, I will begin hearing those three words, “Mommy, I’m bored,” if I don’t have a summer fun plan. The memories I want to create with my kids won’t happen unless I begin preparing now.
I begin planning my fun-filled summer with three simple steps:

Click Here For my three simple steps I shared over at SC Johnson

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

DIY Portable Homework Station

By Trisha

After the school bell rings and your car turns into the “kid taxi,” going from one activity to the next, it often means dinner and homework on the go. To simplify the homework on the go and your children saying, “I need a pencil. I need a ruler,” create a do-it-yourself (DIY) on-the-go homework station to ride along with you as you travel from one activity to the next.
 
Click here  For my complete DIY portable homework station box instructions SC Johnson

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

Six Cosmetic Storage Solutions

By Trisha

How do you organize, sort and keep track of your cosmetics? With two teenage daughters and my own pile of cosmetics I knew it was time to find some simple organizing solutions to help us keep them contained and accessible.

If you are like me and ready to get organized, begin with these three steps: Click here to read Trisha's Three steps over at SC Johnson

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

Tips For Laundry Organization

By Trisha

With five active kids, I often wonder if there will be just one day that I can say to the mound of clothes that pile up, “Mt. Wash Me and Mt. Fold Me stop erupting!” and magically I would be caught up on the laundry. However, it always seems that just as soon as I think I’ve done that last load of laundry one of my children secretly come to the laundry room and re-fills the laundry baskets with their dirty, smelly clothes. So, if I can’t have empty laundry bins I can at least have an organized system, right?

Click here to read Trisha's full article and her tips to laundry organization over at SC Johnson

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

Image: Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

FREE Spring Organizing/Cleaning Printable Kit

Ready for spring? I know I am! I’m looking forward to hopeful  warm weather and less rain…

To celebrate the arrival of spring, Creative Mama created this Spring Printable Kit for you to enjoy!

Here’s what you will get:

• To do list
• Shopping list
• Spring Cleaning Checklist

Click here to get your FREE printable Spring kit from Creative Mama

Recycle, Re-Use, Re-Purpose In Your Home

 By Trisha
24/7 MOMS Editor
 
With Earth Day only a month away, we hear it everywhere we go these days—recycle, re-use, re-purpose. There are signs, websites and multitudes of companies that are focused on these three words. This got me thinking about how we could organize our home by doing just that—recycle, re-use and re-purpose.

Here are some of the simple ideas I came up with to get each of us to recycle, re-use and re-purpose in the home: Click here to read Trisha's full article over at SC Johnson


Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson


*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

10 Time Saving Tips

Do you want more time in your day?  feel like the mom world is in need of organization?  Stop by The Parenting Summit for my 10 Time saving tips.  Click here to watch now.

The Parenting Summit is a free online event featuring video messages from leading parenting and family experts, each sharing 5-20 minute recorded video messages with tips and advice on becoming a more effective parent.

During the event dates (March 1-8, 2011), videos are offered on-demand so that you can access them at your leisure and watch what you can... when you can. Register Now it's FREE and you can join in (attend) when it is convenient for you.

Free Registration be clicking here.

The 31 Day To-Do List Challenge

By Trisha
 
Several weeks ago, I was thinking about how as a mom I often get overwhelmed with my never ending to-do list and projects that I would like to accomplish. I began playing the “what if” game – what if I created a challenge for myself to accomplish one project per day this year? I was immediately overwhelmed. So, instead I decided to break it down into months. What if I could accomplish one project per day for an entire month? I would feel a huge sense of accomplishment checking off a month’s worth of to-do’s and projects!

What about you? Do you have a never ending to-do list full of projects you would like to accomplish? Join me in this challenge and begin checking things off your list. Here’s how we can do it: Click here to read Trisha's full article over at SC Johnson


Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson


*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

DIY Moms- Headband Storage Solution

If you have girls then you know the NEED for a solution to how to store all those cute headbands they enjoy wearing. I found a fun and simple DIY headband storage container over at Emilie Handmade. Click here to get your DIY instructions..

Books that Keep Me Organized

By Trisha

Seventeen years ago, when baby number three arrived, I knew it was time to take my position as CFO (Chief Family Officer) seriously. So, I begin reading every book I could get my hands on about home organization and managing my new family empire of three kids, my husband and a dog.

I did not want to spend my days digging, searching and tearing my hair out for lost items, misplaced car keys or see 5 p.m. on my clock and wonder what I was going to feed my family for dinner that night, and find dishes still in the sink from breakfast. I knew it was time to educate myself in this role as CFO.

Over the years I am often asked what books have inspired and assisted me in my journey of being the CFO of my home (I now have five kids.) Here is my list of top books that have kept me organized: To read the full article and see my list of books click here.

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

Clean Your House In 15 Minutes a Day!

Here’s a solution for those who love a clean house, but dread cleaning day…SKIP CLEANING DAY and start a HOUSE CLEANING SCHEDULE!

Instead of planning a marathon day of cleaning every week or two, start setting aside 15 minutes a day for cleaning. Even better…delegate some of your cleaning chores to your children! I’ll be happy to teach you how to make a chore chart!

Doesn’t 15 minutes a day sound better than spending half your Saturday cleaning or going crazy the day of your party to make the house look perfect? The key is to make a house cleaning schedule, so that every room in your house will be cleaned every 2 weeks.

If you tackle one room each day or one task each day, you’ll never feel like a maid again! Here’s a suggested house cleaning schedule to get you started, just customize it for your house and let the cleaning begin!

1. Monday: run the dust mop under all furniture, beds, etc.
2. Tuesday: vacuum downstairs
3. Wednesday: vacuum upstairs
4. Thursday: mop kitchen, bathroom and foyer
5. Friday: clean 1 bathroom (the tub, the shower, the toilet, the sink, the counters)
6. Saturday: clean 1 bathroom (the tub, the shower, the toilet, the sink, the counters)
7. Monday: vacuum high traffic areas (high traffic areas usually need to be vacuumed once a week)
8. Tuesday: dust living room, den and dining room (don’t forget to dust the baseboards and blinds or shutters)
9. Wednesday: dust bedrooms (don’t forget the baseboards, blinds or shutters)
10. Thursday: extra job (this is a cleaning job that only needs to be done every once and a while like dusting ceiling fans or cleaning out the refrigerator)
11. Friday: clean kitchen (the stove, the sink, dust, clean counters)
12. Saturday: sweep porch and wipe off porch furniture

That’s it…once you’ve completed the first 2 week cycle, your house will always feel clean! Certainly we can all find 15 minutes in our busy day!

Written by:

Kristl Story

http://www.TheBudgetDiet.com

(It’s a diet for your wallet, not your waistline!)

Kristl is the CEO of the family and also the maid, the cook, the coupon queen and yes, the bargain shopper. Kristl is not a financial planner or an accountant – just a mom that knows how to live life on a budget. For more money saving tips, visit TheBudgetDiet.com.

Stop the Kitchen Stuffing

By Trisha Novotny

As I hear the crashing and banging coming from the kitchen when my children are searching for a pot or pan, I am reminded that the cupboards in my kitchen may have become cluttered during the recent months. It’s time to reorganize and de-clutter the kitchen in my home.

How about your cupboards? Are they ready for my three-step makeover? To read the full article and see my list click here.

Be sure to leave me a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.