make a list...

***** EDITED:  I made my version of the daily docket in microsoft publisher.  It was just a little easier for me to manipulate for this particular project.  If you have publisher and want to customize your own docket, I'd be happy to email you the editable (is that a word?) publisher files.  Shoot me your email address in the comments or to taralynnsmail@gmail.com and I'll send 'em over.  Sometimes reinventing the wheel is good - sometimes, it's just a pain in the neck!!!  :) *****

Are you a list person??  I am crazy (CRAZY crazy) about lists.  There are few things in life that give me more satisfaction than crossing items off my list.  In fact, I'll even list things for the day that I've already finished, just so I can cross it off (kind of pathetic, but boy is it satisfying!). 
Anyway, I was getting sick of the many cute little notebooks full of partially completed lists, the post-its on my computer and wall, the generic planner that didn't really fit my needs and needed every new paper hole punched 6 times.  So I decided to just make my own.  I did flylady's thing when my oldest was a baby, and had a grand time shining my sink, but it didn't quite fit me anymore.  Then I saw SimpleMom's Daily Docket, and I loved it.  But, for it to work, I needed to change a few things. 
It needed to be small -- I wasn't going to carry around a 2 inch binder along with the other 5 million things in my diaper bag/purse/prepared-for-anything tote.   And I wanted it to be cute.  Silly, but if it's cute, I really do have better odds of using it. :) 

So if you just can't stop yourself from making lists, here are a few of my planner files -- my monthly checklist and my version of simplemom's daily docket.  The file is 4 pages long, but it's for two-sided printing, so you'll print pg. 2 on the back of pg. 1, and pg. 4 on the back of pg. 3 (clear as mud?).  I like that it's little, I like that I can just print it off at home, punch it with my adjustable 3-hole punch, and slap it in my 'planner' - a half-size binder purchased at a office supplies chain store.  I've got a ward directory in there (I just printed it with the paper turned landscape & adjusted the margins so I could trim off the extra), a calendar, a list of birthdays and goals.  I also keep a basic budget outline, shopping lists and a list of items I keep on hand in the pantry/freezer/fridge to make shopping easier.  There's a little pad of paper in the back for (what else?!) more lists!  I made a fabric sleeve/cover for the binder because that makes me happy.  :)

I've used this for a little over a year now, and I really like it.  It changes a little over time as my needs change - I shared the files with my sister, and she made it better.  :)  How do YOU organize your lists?

Memory Keeping

Recording our Memories is such an important commandment.  We have been asked to keep records since the beginning of time.

Our family has a new fun way to record our memories. 

We have 4 children, but only one that can read and write.  This is our way to record our history.

Here is what we are doing:

I found this cute little file box.  I put an index card in there for every day of the year.

Each night at dinner time, we write something on our card.

ie: January 24th:  Today we blessed Tessa.

Then next year on January 24th, we will read the card and add to it.

If we miss an evening, we do it at breakfast or lunch for the previous day.

This is so simple, but a great way to record the everyday happenings.

It also teaches our children the importance of record keeping.

How I Stay Sane...

The secret for me is my basket!


You most likely have already seen this picture before in my food storage post. I've had a couple of requests to do another post about this and share the organizational side of my basket. So here goes:


You know that crazy, messy, catch all area on your counter? The place where the mail gets stashed and your kids school papers get piled up and little sticky notes to yourself get put...the list goes on and on. That's the description of what gets piled up on my counter. I'm pretty sure just about every family has a counter place like this somewhere. Well, ours is in the corner of our kitchen. A couple of years ago I was so sick of this corner having non-stop papers piling up, but I couldn't shove them in a cupboard somewhere, because for me, if it's out of sight, it's out of mind. But at the same time, I couldn't keep on top of all of them in an organized way. I found myself feeling stressed out eveytime I looked at this spot in the corner of my kitchen and it was driving me crazy! So, I came up with this basket way of keeping myself and the things going on in our family organized.

I found these cute file folders one day at my favorite boutique store in McKinney, Texas. I got the basket at either T.J. Maxx or Ross ( I can't remember). Then I started getting organized. I pulled out all of my random papers and sorted through them in categories. Here's how my categories broke down:

1. Things to do
2. Preparedness
3. Phone #'s
4. Goals
5. Misc.
6. Kaylee - School
7. Jake - School
8. Bills

I also have my calender sitting in the very back of my basket. I have a pen clipped onto my basket too, so everything I need is right there.

How my systen works:
Most of those categories are pretty obvious and self explanatory - bills and anything money related goes in the 'Bills' folder. When I'm ready to pay bills, I just grab this folder and take it to the computer. The school folders have the kids teachers e-mails and phone #'s in there along with the lunch menu and anything school related. 'Misc'. is filled with my random things I'm not quite sure I know what to do with yet. Nothing pressing, not sure if I want to throw it away, I will probably get to it later, but if I don't then...oh well! My ward lists and neighbors phone #'s are in my 'Phone #'s' folder, along with our dr.'s and any other misc. phone #. All of my preparedness information goes in the 'Prepardeness' folder (food storage and emergency needs). 'Goals' is another one of those random folders for me - ideas of vacations we want to go on, things to do in Houston, a list of books I want to read, and an actual list of goals for myself (something to keep me motivated). The 'Things To Do' folder is my jam-packed folder that gets sorted through, cleaned out and kept going on a weekly basis. If I get a paper that needs attention right away, (like within a couple of days) I will set it out on the side of my basket. Then I know it needs priority (because I can see it). When the kids bring home reminders from school about an event, or there's a church date I need to remember or anything else, I try to write it on my calender right away and just throw the paper away, but sometimes you can't throw the paper away becuase there's too much information on it, so I put it in this folder until the event is over. Every Sunday night I pull out my calender and my 'Things To Do' folder and plan my week. I make sure that everything I need and want to do that week is on my calender. I clean out the folder and get rid of the things I can throw away and then it's ready for the next week. I also have little fun reminders in there for me too - some fabric swatches for my curtains I want to make, fun ideas of things I want to do with my kids, anything that is a priority to me that I really want to be able to make time for. As I'm planning my week I can make time to fit all of these things in and if I don't, then it just stays in my 'Things To Do' folder until I get a chance to tackle it. It's like one big, fat, sticky note for me. I'm reminded about those things every week because I sort through it, but I don't have them constantly hanging over my head because I know that it's in a safe spot and I will get to it eventually.

So, now I have this tidy, organized corner and a method to my madness! I hope this helps you manage your household and the million other things we women do. If any of you have something that really works well for you, share it with us and if you don't then give this one a try.

Tip: The only place I could find cute file folders was at that boutique store in McKinney, Texas. Maybe you might have better luck. What you could do instead is take a regular file folder and have some fun with scrapbooking material. Andrea did this, so if you need help in this category ask her! :)