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11.11.2008

Organization and Hot Chocolate

I've mentioned before that organization is not my strong point.  On this front, I am a continual work in process.  We have someone who helps us with cleaning twice a month and last week she gave me a lecture about how I need to be more organized.  This may have offended me if it weren't that it's SO TRUE!!!  Her suggestions were that I make the kids put away their own toys and that I get a basket for the kids' shoes.  She's right about the first and the latter was actually a good idea which I quickly implemented.




It's not that I don't try.  It just doesn't come naturally to me. Dan, on the other hand, is especially good at coming up with ways in which we can be more organized.  He thought of:

The Diaper Basket





Converting this coat closet into a toy closet





Storing some of the kids' other toys in these shelves.  [Funny story about these shelves.  The person who owned this house prior to us painted the names over each shelf as a "Designed to Sell" technique right before they put the house on the market.  Cooper was the name of their dog!]  


 


If I were organized I would definitely have painted over these names by now -- 2 1/2 years later. But frankly, they really don't bother me much.

The other idea that Dan came up with is to create a meals list each week detailing what we will have for dinner.  We then make a grocery list based on the meal list and this has certainly made my life easier.  I like cooking but don't like thinking of what to make.  This way we're stocked up on what we need and I don't have to make additional trips to the grocery store with the kids.

So, for those of you who ARE organized, I ask of you -- would you be kind enough to leave me a comment and bestow on me some of your organizational wisdom?  What have you done to simplify your life/make things easier with kiddos?

Subject change -- Indigo had her first taste of hot chocolate and boy did she LOVE it.  She was in heaven!





7 comments:

  1. Those little shelves are too cute. Love the story behend them.

    Sorry that you got an organization lecture! Yikes!

    I heart hot chocolate!

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  2. We have an unfinshed bonus room. With my son I always store about 1/2 of his toys here and rotate them out. "Bring a bin down, take a bin of toys up"!! When he was a baby, he thought he had new toys!!
    (I also throw everthing I don't need or want up there hahaha!!)
    Michelle C, AL

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  3. Hey, i've been wanting to do that "grocery/dinner list" for so long-i always have good intentions, but it NEVER gets done. I'm the same way-don't mind actually making the dinner, it's just the figuring out WHAT to make is the hard part and least favorite part of the job!

    As far as keeping organized, i don't know if lists help you? I bought a journal and started writing lists of things i needed to get done-it kept me more organized and on top of things.
    If you get any suggestions on how to keep childrens toys organized-let me know! I'm soooo tired of going through their toys and reorganizing them! UGH!!!!
    nicole

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  4. this was just on my min din the shower! love dan's ideas. i think i need a chore chart (for myself) and an activity chart (i always forget which days the museum is open early for toddlers!)...and i need to do the meal thing and make M pick up his toys every night. can't wait to read more tips from otehrs! thanks for this post! and i LOVE the thumbless GGP! very funny!

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  5. Oh, I love those hot chocolate shots! How beautiful!
    Well, I think any Mom would admit that there are areas of the home/life that could use more organization!! Guilty here too! ;)
    My only pearls of wisdom are not too original, but we always kept a system of storage shelves in our family room ( finished basement) with coordinated tubs that fit into the shelves that I labeled initially with pictures of Lauren's toys. Pictures of leggos, blocks, etc taped on each tub.....now that she can read I replaced them with word labels, but it helped her early on assist with clean-up and keep things neat.
    I also got sick of the "junk drawers" and found inexpensive drawer organizers for them all...it makes a HUGE difference!
    Dan's mealtime ideas are great too! Like you my hardest thing is thinking up fresh meal ideas each week....ugh! Hey maybe we should all blog quick & easy meal ideas??! We are in rut here! :(
    Great post!
    Lisa C.

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  6. Oh Indi, you and I would be best buds. :)

    I do a meal list, too. It really helps with saving money besides the time factor!!

    I am a "basket girl" too - we have a diaper basket and baskets for toys to help keep them organized.

    I am laughing over the little names painted above the cupboards. You guys are so relaxed!!! I would be painting over those the first week we moved in. LOL.

    Rebecca

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  7. Rachel,
    I had to comment on this because I am the same way. I am always trying to be organized and I admire people who are, but it is so not me. I am much more likely to be found drinking a latte and reading than organizing! My husband is the organized one. my disorganization is one of the things he has had to accept in marriage:)

    ReplyDelete

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