Organization inspiration

I'm so thrilled to be making {baby} steps towards a more organized home. Remember my organization frustration post from a couple of weeks ago? I got a wonderful response from comments left on my blog as well as friends and family who I see regularly. Giving me ideas and inspiration to try. Telling me I am not alone and fighting a fight that almost every mother has to battle and fine tune.

My sister in law gave me a book that I am very excited about exploring. It's called, "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh. It is about changing your lifestyle and just having less stuff.

Sara had left a great comment about not being too hard on myself, and then just really going for it when the cleaning bug hits. She helped me think through what is most important {my Dave and boys} as well as formulate a good plan to do more deep cleaning when I know I am going to have alot of time.

Elizabeth and Chelle encouraged my resolve to get rid of more stuff. Really decide what we NEED and what we use, and then throw out the stuff that just complicates our life.

Ashley had some amazing tips in a post she had written about what works for her. She is one organized woman!! Wow. It was great to read about her weekly schedule. She was also a big encouragement in helping me not to overwhelm myself. She mentioned that if things get busy, and you miss your scheduled job for a couple of days - just go to the next one and know that you will get the missed jobs when they come around on the schedule again.

Part of my frustration was that I was getting behind and then trying to do it all in one day - just exhausting myself. Some of your comments really helped me to see how helpful it will be to just pace myself.

Jacy was a huge help in her tips to lay out the boys clothes for the next day before going to bed as well as having meal plans in place for the following day! I'm doing more of that kind of stuff and I am amazed how much smoother our mornings go. Especially the mornings when we are on a schedule and have to go some where!

{Mommy etc }Elizabeth gave me some great links to the fly lady and helped by telling me some things that worked for her. She really helped me see that I am, indeed, in good company as I seek to get organized and simplify. :)

My mother in law also gave me some links to fly lady and some helpful books. She's right there with me in her quest for organization.

You all helped me in getting my priorities a little bit more straightened around, as well as giving me so many helpful hints that I have implemented and am loving! Thank you so much!!

Check out some of the changes I have made!

This was our front porch, which is used for some storage as well as play room, a few weeks ago.

After I got rid of three garbage bags full of toys and got my new "toys" and "stuff" totes {which I just love!} it looks like this.

I am so thrilled with it!!

Also, I have started keeping better track of what I have in my pantry. The shelves in my panty are kind of deep. If you happen to be a scattered person on top of that, you often get multiple food items that you don't need and end up being frustrated at yourself for the things you need and failed to buy. I'm just sayin' that could happen. Hypothetically.

My new system involves a label maker, dry erase board, and tally marks. :) Simple, but oh so very effective in my life!

I've also implemented my weekly cleaning schedule again.

{Oh - and if you can't quite see what that writing says on my cleaning schedule, let me give you a close up. Because it was probably one of the biggest encouragements in this whole endeavor.

That's my Dave. :) I love him.}

I had a little conversation with myself that went something like this, "Hey girl! Just because you had a couple of very busy weeks and got off schedule it doesn't mean that this failed. Brush yourself off and try again! And it will probably happen again, because your life is pretty packed right now. Do what you can and don't pressure yourself with guilt for what you don't get done!"

It was a pretty good little pep talk to myself if I might venture to say so.

I hope to add more bits of organization to my routine, but for now this is what I've done. I just had to share, because even though these are baby steps, they have proven to be a HUGE help in encouraging me that I can do it. :)

As I close, I am super pleased to report that we are all doing well and are pretty healthy. K has bounced back beautifully. We still have some medication issues to work through, but he is back to his awesome crazy self.

Noe still has a couple of coughing fits each day, but his resilience shocked me! Twenty four hours after his pneumonia diagnosis he was just about back to 100% 'two year old' energy. Definitely answers to prayer!

My life is packed full busy right now, so finding time to write has been a bit challenging. I'll try to pop in again when I get a chance!