Organizing my life...

I was never an organizer as a kid, except for school. I hated anything even remotely toward the "unschooling" side. Give me a list of what I needed to do, let me do it, and then let me be done. Mom researched all these great crafty ways to make school fun, etc, etc, and nope! Just a note card with a list of subjects, books, assignments, and I'd be happy. Boring, but it worked.

As I've gotten older, and thanks to a couple very messy roommates, I've learned the value of organization and cleanliness. Not OCD cleanliness - I'll admit to looking at a dust bunny for two days before picking it up - but reasonable cleanliness. As Auntie Leila would call it, a "reasonably clean house." I'll let you read her take rather than attempt my own. Hers is better.

I'm going to spew my opinions about organization, because, as singles, marrieds, married-with-kids, whatevers you may be, having organization in your life can really make you feel a lot better!

Sticky notes are my friend, but sometimes all I manage is a mental list of what has to be done.  Then, once the list is in my head, I can work it all out.  Like, attempt to have be all ready to start working by 8, work til 1, blog for 20 minutes (who are we kidding - half of that is definitely not blog related...I know), make a grocery list, buy said groceries, have them all put away and cleaned by 4, start dinner.  That's the basic.  But seriously, write it down somewhere if you have trouble, or if you have kids.  Kind of the same thing.

Put them somewhere you won't forget!

Then, squeeze in the little stuff.  Laundry can be fit into work hours, as it only takes a minute to change the loads.  If the Husband comes home for lunch, I can throw a soup on the stove and grab some cornbread from the freezer (never make mini batches for this very reason).  That also only takes a minutes and I can work while I do it.  Laundry can get folded after dinner and when things settle down.  Lunch cleanup can get skipped because it's just going to get done again right when I get back from the store; no need to double duty for a few crum-filled plates.

See what I mean?  Not so bad.  And for anyone who has kids, please don't worry about the little stuff.  No childless perfectly organized dressed and cleaned and showered women like me are looking down on you like I know you think we are :)  We're not.  We're in awe that you get even half your list done, because, let's face it.  I can't even make it though half of mine sometimes....and I only have me to worry about!

And do take them down when they aren't relevant.  

My mother's birthday was weeks ago.  Ah well.  Life goes on.

So make the list, and then when you accomplish something, scratch it out.  This way, when you get to the end of the day and think, "Did I do anything today at all?" you can remind yourself that yes, you did.  And you did it a pretty darn good job of it.  And (last one), if the laundry isn't done because you forgot when Kid 1 spilled milk all over the kitchen, or because something in work came up, just bump it to tomorrow's list.  It'll be okay.  As long as everyone has clothing for the next day, life will move on just fine.  Besides, kids and husbands don't always care if they wear the same clothes...

Well...that's all I have.  My life is only semi-organized, as proved by the length of this post.  But you know what, I like it and my husband likes it, and it's not causing anyone to sin, so why worry?  C'est la vie!