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How do you stay organized?
A must-have for any parent | How I stay organized
I have been a stay-at-home mom/homemaker for over 18 years. One of the most important parts of my job is organization. I have to keep up with all appointments, school events, activities, sports, bills and everything else in between. I have found the best way to keep it all together is with an organizer. I specifically use one that is made for students. The reason why is the layout goes according to the school week. My life revolves around the kids so my calendar needs to do the same. Student organizers are also a lot cheaper compared to the traditional ones you find in the office supply stores. Those can run you $20 or more!
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I bought mine at Target last year right at the start of the school year for about $8. I found out that if you wait until about the second or third week after school starts, they go on clearance for 50% off and eventually 75% off. I love the size of this one because it is big enough to write everything in, but small enough to throw in my bag if I need to. My husband has one and so do the girls. We all can't live without it! Since the last month of the organizer is July, I have to make sure to get a new one soon. I have tried putting appointments and events in my iPhone but I more prefer the old-fashioned method of writing it down.
How do you stay organized?
How do you stay organized?
How to Organize Your Recipes {guest post}
This guest post is courtesy of Instawares restaurant supplies and equipment company.
Whether you're a home cook who takes pride in preparing recipes that have been handed down in your family for generations or a professional chef with a reputation for creating innovative new dishes, your recipes are the key to your success in the kitchen. Unfortunately, many cooks tend to be disorganized when it comes to maintaining their recipe file.
Instead of desperately paging through recipe books or shuffling a stack of index cards and magazine clippings the next time you want to prepare that special dish, why not organize your recipes into an efficient system so you can always lay your hands on the recipe you want in an instant?
Gather Your Recipes
Before you can organize your recipes, it's crucial that you compile all of them in one place. Empty your recipe boxes, gather your cookbooks, grab your magazine cutouts and locate your Internet printouts. No matter where your recipes are at this moment, do what you have to do to get them all in one place, preferably your kitchen table or computer desk.
Assemble Your Supplies
To organize your recipes, you'll need a three-ring binder, enough sheet protectors to contain all of your recipes, plain copy paper, scissors, a glue stick and a color copier or printer/scanner with copying capabilities. Feel free to jazz up your recipe book with sheets of colored paper, paper with borders, scrapbook-style embellishments and photos of food that you've prepared in the past.
Sort Your Recipes by Category
Create several piles and sort your recipes into categories. Meats, poultry, main dishes, casseroles, vegetable dishes and desserts are just some of the categories you can use. If you're stumped as to which categories to create, choose one of your favorite cookbooks and follow its layout by copying the categories contained therein.
Place Your Recipes in Sheet Protectors
Sheet protectors offer the perfect way to store your recipes for use in the kitchen. If you happen to splatter or spill something on the pages, you simply wipe it off and the recipe remains untouched. Recipes that are smaller than 8-1/2" x 11" can be glued to sheets of copy paper and inserted into the sheet protectors. Place one or more on each page according to your preference. If you have recipes in cookbooks that you turn to often, copy them or scan and print them so you have them at your fingertips without having to page through one or more cookbooks to locate them.
Organize the Recipes in Your Binder
Since you've already sorted your recipes by category, it should be easy to place them in your binder in an orderly fashion. Once you've placed them in the binder, use a simple word processing program to create a table of contents or an index that lists all of the recipes your binder contains. Now when you're ready to prepare a special dish, you'll easily be able to flip to the appropriate page and get to work.
While organizing your recipes may seem like a time-consuming project at first glance, the time you save by being able to find your recipes easily will pay off in the long run. Not only will you be an organized cook in the kitchen, you'll have your very own personalized cookbook and that's something any cook should be proud of.
Whether you're a home cook who takes pride in preparing recipes that have been handed down in your family for generations or a professional chef with a reputation for creating innovative new dishes, your recipes are the key to your success in the kitchen. Unfortunately, many cooks tend to be disorganized when it comes to maintaining their recipe file.
Instead of desperately paging through recipe books or shuffling a stack of index cards and magazine clippings the next time you want to prepare that special dish, why not organize your recipes into an efficient system so you can always lay your hands on the recipe you want in an instant?
Gather Your Recipes
Before you can organize your recipes, it's crucial that you compile all of them in one place. Empty your recipe boxes, gather your cookbooks, grab your magazine cutouts and locate your Internet printouts. No matter where your recipes are at this moment, do what you have to do to get them all in one place, preferably your kitchen table or computer desk.
Assemble Your Supplies
To organize your recipes, you'll need a three-ring binder, enough sheet protectors to contain all of your recipes, plain copy paper, scissors, a glue stick and a color copier or printer/scanner with copying capabilities. Feel free to jazz up your recipe book with sheets of colored paper, paper with borders, scrapbook-style embellishments and photos of food that you've prepared in the past.
Sort Your Recipes by Category
Create several piles and sort your recipes into categories. Meats, poultry, main dishes, casseroles, vegetable dishes and desserts are just some of the categories you can use. If you're stumped as to which categories to create, choose one of your favorite cookbooks and follow its layout by copying the categories contained therein.
Place Your Recipes in Sheet Protectors
Sheet protectors offer the perfect way to store your recipes for use in the kitchen. If you happen to splatter or spill something on the pages, you simply wipe it off and the recipe remains untouched. Recipes that are smaller than 8-1/2" x 11" can be glued to sheets of copy paper and inserted into the sheet protectors. Place one or more on each page according to your preference. If you have recipes in cookbooks that you turn to often, copy them or scan and print them so you have them at your fingertips without having to page through one or more cookbooks to locate them.
Organize the Recipes in Your Binder
Since you've already sorted your recipes by category, it should be easy to place them in your binder in an orderly fashion. Once you've placed them in the binder, use a simple word processing program to create a table of contents or an index that lists all of the recipes your binder contains. Now when you're ready to prepare a special dish, you'll easily be able to flip to the appropriate page and get to work.
While organizing your recipes may seem like a time-consuming project at first glance, the time you save by being able to find your recipes easily will pay off in the long run. Not only will you be an organized cook in the kitchen, you'll have your very own personalized cookbook and that's something any cook should be proud of.
Spring clean and turn your clutter into cash!
Did you know the average consumer has $7,000 worth of unused stuff in their home? In fact, according to an annual clothing Resale Report from thredUP, the average family has $1,318 worth of used/outgrown clothing to sell alone. That's a lot of money that can be put towards future goals for your family or even retirement.
Whatever it is you'd like to sell, below is a list of new tech services that make it truly easy to spring clean while turning that clutter into cash. Best part? You don't have to wait for someone else to buy your stuff like you do on Craigslist or eBay. Just pack up those unwanted goods, ship 'em off, and watch the cash roll in.
· thredUP.com: online consignment to clean out children's closets and turn outgrown clothes into cash. Order a thredUP bag, fill it with kids' clothes and earn up to 40% of the resale value. thredUP consignors inspect every item and resell only the best clothes. http://www.thredup.com
· EcoATM: an automated, self-serve kiosk that quickly evaluates and buys back used consumer electronics directly from consumers for cash. It's like a magical money robot. Find an EcoATM location near you. http://www.ecoatm.com
· Chairish.com: sell your home furnishing directly to Chairish. Users simply submit furniture details online, and Chairish takes care of payments while insuring white glove shipping. Chairish's curation team approves every listing to ensure the best furniture quality for buyers. http://www.chairish.com
· GoldFellow.com: we've all heard of Cash for Gold, but there's another option for your once loved jewelry. Gold fellow will even take broken jewelry! http://www.goldfellow.com/
· BookScouter.com: type in the ISBN and Book Scouter will search all the sites that are currently paying for used books to give you a quote. It's like having a book broker! http://bookscouter.com/
· GiftCardGranny.com: gift card exchange that helps you trade in gift cards you aren't planning on using, for cards you will use - or for cash. http://www.giftcardgranny.com/
· UsedInstrumentBuyer.com: instruments are often pricey to ship, and you probably won't make much selling them on craigslist. UsedInstrumentBuyer gives you a quote upfront and ship it for free. http://usedinstrumentbuyer.com/
· TheRealReal.com: luxury designer resale - all online. Perfect for the Louis Vuitton bag that needs a new home. http://www.therealreal.com/Events.aspx
· TaskRabbit.com: want someone to do your spring cleaning for you? TaskRabbit helps you find local people to run your errands– like help you sell heavier stuff such as kitchen appliances or home fitness equipment in the garage on Craigslist. https://www.taskrabbit.com/
· Secondipity.com: a selling portal perfect for bigger ticket items like TVs. Best part? With every item you sell, they'll make a donation to a classroom in need. http://www.secondipity.com/
Does organization have you down?
Jill says: ·
“Designate a drawer or shelf as a home for purses and wallets, cell phones and chargers, sunglasses and loose change.”
“Categorize and store like items / like uses together; Hats, Gloves, Scarves, Cooler, Blankets.”
“Get belongings ready the night before for quick and easy access in the morning. Try placing items by the door to shorten and simplify your routine.”
“Make sure to schedule time for yourself that is nonnegotiable. A Skype chat with an old friend, a yoga class, a massage.”
To simplify your beauty routine, Jill recommends using Schick Intuition, the only 2-in-1 razor with a moisturizing conditioning solid surrounding four ultra-thin blades to achieve the closest shave possible. Schick Intuition offers women the ultimate multi-purpose beauty accessory in one easy product, available now in three new, limited edition handles!
For additional simplicity tips from Jill visit Schick Intuition on Facebook and click the ‘Simplify and Save’ tab. There you have the opportunity to take our Simplicity Personality quiz and receive up to $4 off Schick Intuition products!
Why didn't I do this sooner?
It just dawned on me a few days ago that William's bedroom is a lot bigger than my office. Both rooms are next to each other and they used to be the girls' rooms before William was born and then they moved into bedrooms downstairs. He only goes in his bedroom to sleep at night. How did I let a little kid get the bigger space? He doesn't even have that much stuff! It is also the one room in the house that is coldest in the Winter and warmest in the Summer. A light bulb went off in my head. I grabbed the girls and we switched rooms. Yep, I kicked the boy out of the big room with a full-sized closet and put him in a smaller, cozier room. Would you believe that now he wants to hang out and play in his "new room" all day long? It was a very smart move. It took me 3 1/2 years to think of it but at least it's done. I am loving my new office space and William is enjoying his new bedroom. We both win! :)
HERSHEY®’S Track & Field Games | Giveaway
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Winner is #17 John S.
Winner is #17 John S.
Now that winter is slowly winding down and the weather is warming up this is the perfect time for families to get up and get moving! It's important to encourage your children to be active so you can help them gain an appreciation for a healthy lifestyle at a young age.
Since 1978, The HERSHEY®’S Track & Field Games has helped more than 10 million children get active and learn valuable lessons such as sportsmanship and hard work. Now in its 34th year, HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games hosts thousands of boys and girls, ages 9 to 14, in nearly 4,000 North American communities. They will compete this spring and summer in track and field events ranging from the standing long jump and softball throw to a variety of running and relay races – and all at no cost of entry. All you need is a pair of shoes!
To program culminates each year with the HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games North American Final Meet in Hershey, Pa. Held each year in August, the North American Final Meet hosts 450 outstanding young participants in a fun and exciting, all-expenses paid weekend trip to Hershey. During the weekend, participants tour the world’s largest chocolate factory and visit Hersheypark amusement park, among other exciting activities.
To further encourage physical activity among kids and families, Hershey is teaming up with the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program to collect old, worn-out athletic shoes to be recycled into Nike Grind, a material used in creating athletic and playground surfaces, as well as select Nike products. Program participants will be invited to bring used athletic shoes to state and provincial meets, which will then be recycled into Nike Grind. A HERSHEY’s Track & Field Games playground will be awarded to a participating local community as part of the program’s work with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. Since its inception in the early 1990’s, Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program has recycled more than 25 million pairs of athletic shoes into Nike Grind.
To learn more about HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games, and to find a local event in your area, please visit www.hersheystrackandfield.com. I checked out my area and there is one at my daughter's high school!
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To help get you started you can enter to win HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games prize pack, which includes a drawstring backpack, visor, water bottle and rubber band shoelace stoppers.
Mandatory: To enter just leave a comment sharing how you keep your children/family active. Be sure to check out the site to see if there is a track meet in your area.
For additional entries: *Please leave a separate comment per entry method for each entry to count.
~ you can "like" Momfiles on Facebook
~ share this giveaway on Facebook (once daily)
~ follow Momfiles through Google Friend Connect
~ sport the Momfiles button on your blog
~ Follow Momfiles on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (twice daily):
Get active with a HERSHEY®’S Track & Field Games prize pack from @momfiles and #myblogspark http://tinyurl.com/47ofaxg
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on March 31, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Good luck!
The Hershey Company provided me one prize pack to keep and one to give away, as part of the MyBlogSpark program
It's tax season
Well it's that less than fun time of year- tax season. We have a pretty decent system of keeping up with our paperwork throughout the year to make it easier to file. I guess there still seems to be so much else we have to gather to ensure we are getting as much money back as we can as well as being thorough. I have thought about doing our taxes ourselves but I get all scared that we will mess something up. We just go up to the same place we have for years (a mom 'n pop's spot) and just pay them to do it correctly. I have always had friends and family tell me how easy it is to do yourself but there are just some things I am not willing to mess with! So what about you? Are you one of the brave people that does it yourself or are you a wimp like me?
Lieutenant Shelly is in the building!
It's the first week in August and this means it's time to get conditioned for school! I have the kids getting up at 7 AM this week ...NO EXCUSES. They better enjoy it because next week they have to be up by 6 AM and then the following week it goes to 5:45. I am so mean too. I walk by their rooms making noise to be sure they are awake. Haha!! They can be all the mad they want but they will be grateful when school starts back that they are used to getting up at the crack. Like I said, Lieutenant Shelly is in the building! ;)
Question: Do you have any special things you do in preparation for school?
Question: Do you have any special things you do in preparation for school?
My inbox is immaculate
I am a frequent Facebook/Twitter user and I have noticed almost daily the status updates of friends talking about their email inbox. It is astonishing to me that so many have over a thousand email. Some even in the upwards of 5,000. I get into a panic if mine even goes to 20. I have a tendency to keep an immaculate inbox. I have folders that keep email in particular categories and I do a folder cleaning every few months just to not let them build up with a bunch of useless trash. I also keep my Smart phone on my 24/7 so that my new mail never builds to more than about 10-15 unread messages. I can say that I have a very well organized email system. Now if only my office and house can be that way....
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