Reflections Out Loud: Ten Things

I am a fairly organised person. I do not like to do things last minute, I hate it when I can't find something that I need and and I can not relax in a messy house. I am, however, not necessarily a tidy person so I kind of work against myself! When I was little my mum would ask me to tidy my room so I would organise my closets and draws. It didn't matter to me if my room was messy but it had to be organised!

Saying this, since having the girls I am finding it more and more difficult to stay organised and up to date with the things I need to do. As I'm writing this post it is school holidays and the kitchen still has breakfast dishes all over it and the kids are watching ABC Kids in their pyjamas! I definitely do not claim to be an expert. I am learning.

Since I love the organisation blogs that inspire mums to work more efficiently, I thought I would just share a few things I have learnt over the past 10 years(!) as a mum that help me keep organised.

(I love this! I'm not sure of the source though)

1. Be up before and dressed before the children wake up and enjoy some quiet time to get on top of things. I usually unstack the dishwasher, take the load of washing out of the machine, take care of the animals, prepare lunches for the day and get breaky ready. Occasionally Jessica will wake up early but she's happy to have a bottle and watch ABC kids until breaky time.

2. Have a fortnight of meals planned. I only shop once a fortnight, so planing meals and having all the ingredients is essential. Short trips to the shop for extra things can take a long time with little ones and I always tend to get extra things I did not plan on getting!

3. Have a tub for each child. These tubs are used for different purposes. When I am folding the washing I put their folded washing into the tubs. Sarah and Hannah put theirs away on their own and I help Olivia to do hers. If the house is getting messy, like today, I will get the tubs out and fill them up with their belongings to pop away.

4. A basket or tub at the end of the bench. I am always finding random stuff left on the kitchen bench or through the family room. I just pick it up and put it straight into the basket so I can stay on task with whatever I was doing. When it's full one of us will pop everything away. This also helps the children to learn where everything goes.

5. Put a load of washing on at night and wash every day! Ideally I would fold and iron and put everything away on the same day but this is one of my downfalls.

6. Have routine morning, afternoons and evenings for the children. Between 7-9am and 4-7pm we have a fairly strict routine for getting out the door and getting homework, piano, bathing, etc. done. I also must avoid the Internet in these times or my very best intentions will fall apart!

7. If possible prepare in advance. Whenever there is something coming up that I have to do such as Sunday School lessons or organising a party, I try to do as much as possible long before the mad rush.

8. Prepare dinner early. I often cook or prepare dinner in the morning to avoid the mad rush toward dinner time. Having all the ingredients in the house and fortnightly menu definitely helps!

9. Put the girls to bed on time. This is not always possible with church commitments and busy evenings but it is definitely worth striving for. All my girls (even Sarah who is 10) are in bed by 7.00-7.30 (unless The Voice is on!!)

10. When I'm feeling snowed under, remind myself that this is the season of life for now and one day when my kids are all grown I'll miss it!