Home Organization Notebook: Use it or Lose it?

Trend or Lasting?

Whether you have heard about home organization notebooks from Pinterest or from your favorite organization blog, you may wonder whether they are just a fad or something you may really want to pursue compiling. While it may be a passing fad for the "try everything" mother who will try anything to have some sense of control and organization in her otherwise hectic and busy schedules and life, but for the mom who can commit, it's gold. Many mothers are buckling down and making their schedules rather than letting their schedules rule them. For the mothers and housewives who desire to plan ahead, keep the craziness to a minimum, and focus their efforts, the household management binders are no joke, no trend, and definitely no fad. They are a tool to making their lives "designed" and purposed by intention . . . rather than just floating wherever life may lead for the moment.

Here are some questions to help you decide whether a Home Organization Notebook is right for you and your family:

Do you have one or more kids whose schedules often conflict with your own?

Do you have no plan for house cleaning and home maintenance?

Do you frequently loose your calendars, to do lists, and address books?

Do you thrive on organization and having things all put together?

Are you inspired just by having a plan and a prospect?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you and your household may really benefit from putting together a Home Organization Notebook.

Starting Out

Many Home Organization Notebooks include sections such as time management (calendars and schedules), home cleaning and maintenance, children (schedules, privilege charts, babysitters notes, school information, etc.), meal planning, fitness and diet planning, address books, and more!  While utilizing every home management resource might be a little overwhelming, choosing an area to start in can be very beneficial.  If you have no cleaning plan for your home, start there.  If your children's schedules and attitudes rule the roost, then begin to plan ahead using home organization printables for bedroom cleaning, schedule planning, and privilege management.  Start where you are at and keep going!

Benefits

Mothers who are successful in using a home organization notebook have more time for what they deem important.  They PLAN AHEAD.  Do they get everything done?  No, it doesn't make a soul perfect!  However, their houses will be cleaned more often and more methodically, their children are more likely to have an idea of their schedule and how their schedule affects the rest of the family, and they know when things have to happen . . . such as vehicle maintenance, termite inspections, etc.  Thus the benefits are endless.

- What to buy -

• A 3-Ring Binder - pick your size
• A set or two of dividers
• A package of sheet protectors
• Printables
• Design your own
• Buy them online:  Try http://www.designinglife.etsy.com/ (of course, I'm just a little partial)
• Some sites offer free printables to frequent readers

Whether you decide to go for it or decide that a home organization notebook is not your cup of tea.  Just remember that you can design your life!

Organizing Your Home Organization Notebook

Current Events

My last post had our family moving to Italy and relayed my prospect of looking about Italy to find Murano glass beads.  Let's say I haven't forgotten, but I haven't found any stores even remotely like a craft store here.  No earring wire, no beads, and no supplies . . . so for now I'll order supplies from online craft stores and keep my eyes open for the Murano beads, etc.

Designing Pages

In the meantime, I have found a wonderful diversion.  I desperately want to utilize a home organization binder (you may have heard them refered to as household management notebooks) and so I have started designing the PDF printable pages for my binder!  I have a seven page Master Index of PDF printable pages that I will eventually design and I have already designed quite a few of these and already have them in my Etsy Shop.  Why keep them to myself? 

Organizing My Notebook!

The Home Organization Notebook printables are for sale in my Etsy Shop but I have decided to share my Master Index.  This is my personal plan for my personal Home Organization Notebook.  Granted I have a few ideas for a school printables and we aren't quite there yet.  I have broken the types of organizational printables into dividers, then taken a few of the dividers and broken them into sections for easy access.  Feel free to utilize my Home Orgnization Notebook Master Index to plan out your own Home Organization Notebook.  While you can find may printables online, feel free to check out my shop http://www.designinglife.etsy.com/ to find the printables mentioned on this Master Index.  I'm designing more printables in this list each day, so keep checking back and feel free to make custom requests!

The Home Organization Notebook Master Index is seven pages.  I am providing JPEG pictures in this post.  If you are interested in getting the PDF of all seven pages please e-mail me at my shop, thanks!

 

 

Designing Life Has Moved!

Though I haven't made a blog post in quite a while, my reason for absence has to do with a life change for Designing Life and for my family.  Due to a job change of my husband, we have relocated from Gulfport, Mississippi to . . . Italy!  This does have an affect on my business at least for the meantime.

Since for the next two months I am in a temporary living situation, I only have a small netbook in which to work so I will not be doing E-designs.  The small screen makes the process much more challenging.  I am still choosing paint colors, making banners, and avatars though!  Some things are easily done on a netbook . . . and some things are next to impossible!

Newest Goal:

Since I am in Italy, I intend to find some murano glass beads with which to make earrings.  Also, since starting my experiments into jewelry making, I began with the metal sets provided by the stores.  I am planning to upgrade to silver plated earrings and making my own hooks.  My goal is to make the best quality earrings in the most unique styles.  My existing earrings are great; they are the best I could do with what I had.  That's why I am going to get better supplies to make it even better!

So my family, my business, and I are in Italy . . . what would you do if you were in Italy?

I Love Earrings!

I Love Earrings! by designinglife on polyvore.com

Must Have Shoes

Must Have Shoes by designinglife featuring leather shoes

Knee high heel boots
$65 - lorisshoes.com

ASOS ballet flat
$26 - asos.com

Ash leather shoes
£95 - flannelsfashion.com

Etnies leather shoes
$30 - endless.com

Anne Klein flat heels
$80 - endless.com

J.Crew j crew shoes
$128 - jcrew.com

Bright and Fun!

Bright and Fun! by designinglife featuring woven handbags

Mar Y Sol woven handbag
$88 - piperlime.gap.com

Colorful Lever Back Framed Dangle Earrings by DesigningLife
$15 - etsy.com

Designing Your Attitude

Let's face it.  Some days we just wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  Everything sets us off as if we are an angry, sad, and ferocious bears.  The sun though it may be shining, looks dull and dreary and even our best cup of coffee doesn't knock away the blues.  It happens.  We all have these days.

I realized that even on days such as these, we are all still in control of our own attitudes.  Even when we don't want to control our attitudes, we can consciously make the effort to readjust and start over mentally.  I'm calling this process "designing your attitude."  After explaining the process, I am including a printable graphic at the bottom so you can keep a reminder sheet handy on these bad days.

1.  Take a deep breath

Whatever it is that has you on edge can’t keep you from calming down.  Take a deep breath or two to remind yourself that you are in control and to allow your body to naturally relax itself.

2.  Count to thirty

Why thirty?  Thirty seconds is an adequate time to halt . . . long enough to stop your bad attitude in its tracks.  Consider this your time to think.  Think about why you are having a “bad day” and decide if you want this to keep controlling your attitude.

3.  Do something nice for someone else

Sometimes a bad day comes from an inward focus.  When we think all about ourselves, we are likely to be negative and focus on what isn’t good about ourselves or our lives.  Doing something nice intentionally, reminds us that it’s not all about us.  Let’s face it; it is fun to make others smile!

4.  Brighten your space

If you are in a dark area, brighten it up!  Open the windows on a sunny day, turn on lamps and overhead lights if it’s dark outside.  No one can cheer up in a dreary, dark setting.

5.  Find some inspiration

Whether you find an inspiring Scripture passage or an inspirational quote, give yourself a boost of perspective.  Here are a few good places to look:

The Bible - John 10:10; John 16:24; Proverbs 17:22;

Helen Keller - "Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows."

Franklin D. Roosevelt - “When you get to the end of your rope. Tie a knot and hang on.”

Mark Twain - "The secret to getting ahead is getting started."

Winston Churchill - "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

6.  Act out your desired attitude

If you find yourself stuck in one attitude, do something different.  Sometimes actions can override attitudes.  Smile when you are sour and you may begin to feel happy.  Go for a walk when you are angry and you may begin to enjoy the day.  Act out your desired attitude, and your attitude may adjust to your actions.

7.  Plan for success

Focus forward instead of on the present.  If the present is unbecoming, then focus on changing the future for the better.  Make a new goal to work towards.  Plan for something exciting and begin preparing for that time.  A future focus can improve your present attitude.

8.  Surround yourself with positive company        

Nothing zaps your attitude more than dismal company, but nothing improves your attitude more than being around a positive person.  Find someone who inspires you and make them a part of your life.  Also, stay clear of those who bring you down and make you feel worse about your life and encourage a bad attitude.

9.  Be productive

Nothing brightens a mood like a job well done.  Get off your duff and get moving!  Clean the house, clean your car, clean off our desk, or do a load of laundry, fold it, and put it all away.  If you are in a bad attitude and can’t shake it, couch potatoing it will not solve your attitude problems.  Make something happen and watch your bad day dissolve away.

10.  Choose your attitude intentionally

Contrary to popular American opinion, we are in charge of our actions and our attitudes.  Our actions and our attitudes are our choice, not to be blamed on our parents or any other person.  We decide how we act and how we behave.  Choose well.  If you don’t like your attitude, change it.