Schedules

ready to head out the door to yet ANOTHER holiday party!

I’ve always been a pretty punctual person — often arriving a bit early to meetings and appointments. I hate being late or feeling rushed, so thankfully it’s almost second nature for me to plan ahead, leave early, and arrive on time!

I had a feeling all of this might change after Nora was born — especially since everyone kept telling me how difficult it is to get anywhere “on time” once kids are thrown into the mix

Well I’m officially 8 weeks into motherhood and I have to agree with everything those people told me! It IS a lot more difficult to go places with a tiny baby {and I assume with small children as well}.

Sigh…

Thankfully, before Nora was born, I got a bunch of tips from experienced moms who also like to arrive on time. And since Nora arrived smack in the middle of the crazy holiday season, I was able to try out many of these tips within days of bringing her home to the hospital.

So many holiday parties, events, family functions, church functions, etc… These are a few of the tips that helped me in my quest to get out the door and arrive on time with Nora in tow!

1. Get the car/diaper bags/purse/etc. packed ahead of time.

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If we need to go somewhere during the day, I’ll do my best to get the diaper bag, my purse, and the car fully packed during one of her naps. Then all I have to do is feed and change her… and we’re ready to go. Sometimes, if we’re really running late, I feed her with my coat on!

2. Plan to leave at least 15 minutes earlier than you have to.

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I’ve always been good at estimating the amount of time it will take me to do something… however, EVERYTHING takes so much longer now. So thanks to another mom’s suggestion, I’ve been giving myself an extra 15 minutes or more to get out the door. That way, if I do start to run a bit late or if she sleeps longer than normal, we have a little wiggle room

3. Use “time frames”, not exact times.

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This was probably the best tip I got… and I’ve already used it many, MANY times these past few weeks. Before Nora came along, if I said I would be somewhere at 2:45, I would be there at 2:45. Now, I say, I’ll be there some time before 3:00. Or, I’ll be there between 2:30 and 3:00pm.

That way, I have extra time in case she gets a dirty diaper right before we leave.

4. Realize that sometimes it’s easier just not to go.

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We are currently in the stage where it is SO much easier just to stay home than to try to go anywhere… especially since Nora is not really on a great sleeping schedule quite yet.

So Dave and I have decided that if there is anything we need to do before noon, only one of us will go and the other will stay home so Nora can take her morning nap. It’s just not worth it to mess with her sleep and then have her be crabby for the rest of the day.

People will understand if you say “no”. You might have to miss a few fun things… but you might also get out of a few things you didn’t want to do anyway

5. Give yourself grace.

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Obviously, there is no way we can predict everything our children are going to do — especially when they are babies. Life happens. Other people realize this and will most likely give you grace if you show up a little {or a lot} late.

So even if you’re like me and always try to be on time, there is something to be said for simply throwing your hands up in the air, acknowledging that you will NOT be there on time, and then trying not to worry about it! {yeah, that’s easier said than done… huh!}

Ok, just one more picture — because she is SO cute when she’s sleeping!

What are your best tips for being on-time with kids?

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Due to the recent birth of our beautiful baby girl, Nora Faith, I’ve rounded up an All-Star list of moms who effortlessly seem to manage work, home, family, life, and everything in between! You can read all their words of motherly wisdom here, as well as how they manage to “do it all” while still living a life they love.

I’ll be sharing my own thoughts and baby updates soon enough, but right now, I’m simply soaking up their trusted advice while cuddling with my new baby girl! 

The following is written by Tara from Deal Seeking Mom and Unsophisticook:

Evenings are pretty chaotic in our household. With five children who are all active in sports, it often feels like we’re on the go right up until bedtime. Making time for family dinners and homework is a high priority, but making it a smooth and easy process is often challenging.

After several years of searching for pencils, glue, scissors, etc. for the current assignment each night, it finally dawned on me that there just has to be a better way. My solution seems so incredibly simple — I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner!

This past fall when I was stocking up on school supplies at bargain prices, I purchased extras of everything; not only to replenish my kids’ needs at school but to create what we now call the Homework Box.

The Homework Box:

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The homework box contains all of the supplies that any one of my kids might need to complete their homework on a given night, and it’s off limits outside of homework time so that we can be assured that we have a complete set of colored pencils or crayons available at all times.

We also store any flashcards or learning rings that a teacher sends home in the box to keep things simple. All of the items are housed in an inexpensive Sterilite tote that I picked up at Target.

Items in our Homework Box:

• ballpoint pens
• #2 pencils, sharpened
• pink erasers
• Elmers Glue-All
• Elmers Glue Sticks
• Crayola Crayons
• Crayola Markers
• Crayola Colored Pencils
• tape
• blunt-tip scissors
• ruler
• calculator
• notebook paper
• dictionary

While we still have our occasional homework battles because the kids are tired or grumpy, we’ve completely avoided the missing supplies issues so far this year!

Do you use a homework box in your household?

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If so, do you include any items in yours that I’ve overlooked?

Tara Kuczykowski is a married mom of three boys and two girls, ages 3 to 9 years, living in Columbus, OH. She blogs at Deal Seeking Mom where she shares the latest grocery store deals, coupons and freebies and at Unsophisticook where you can find her tried and true recipes.

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Due to the recent birth of our beautiful baby girl, Nora Faith, I’ve rounded up an All-Star list of moms who effortlessly seem to manage work, home, family, life, and everything in between! You can read all their words of motherly wisdom here, as well as how they manage to “do it all” while still living a life they love.

I’ll be sharing my own thoughts and baby updates soon enough, but right now, I’m simply soaking up their trusted advice while cuddling with my new baby girl! 

The following is written by Jennifer Bowen:

It’s funny, experts say that women forget the pain and discomfort of childbirth, and its true!

But one thing I’ve never forgotten was the paradigm shift of having that little life placed into my care. The things I enjoyed doing most were no longer part of my schedule, I was living on baby time now.

Even the most organized, type-A woman is forced to give up control at these times. But for most of us, there are tips we can use to maintain our sanity.

1. Renew Your Energy

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If you are anything like me, your first instinct is to use nap time as productive time. Ha, think again. This time is for you. Use it for energy renewal, spiritual renewal or try to catch a few winks yourself. This will make for a much calmer mommy.

2. Build In A Buffer

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You may have been Punctual Penny in your pre-baby days, but now find it difficult to get anywhere within the vicinity of on-time. No fear, build a buffer into every activity on your calendar. Allow plenty of time to change a diaper, feed one more time, pack the 87 items you’re sure to need in the diaper bag and fasten the 23 straps to the car seat!

3. Accept Help

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No one can do it all, especially with a baby. Now is the time to accept help from your husband, mom, sister, in-laws, friends and anyone who offers. Don’t be shy about asking for assistance, many times people will stand clear of the frazzled woman toting a baby for fear of insulting you or getting a shot of the unknown coming from your direction. Your laundry may be folded inside-out, sideways and stuffed away never to be seen again, but it’s done, you appreciate it and you can work out the details later.

4. Streamline

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Setup routines and systems for everything that needs to be done. Choose one day for grocery shopping, another for cleaning, etc. By having a set day for each responsibility, you won’t need to think about them for the remainder of the week.

5. Prioritize

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Naturally, baby is your number one priority and everything else comes second. As tasks or outings present themselves, prioritize. Choose the ones that are important to you and remember, sometimes “good enough is good enough”. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

These same tips apply even as your children get older. While the challenges and demands on your time are different, your commitment to your children is not. Mine are now 15, 12, and 9 and I remind myself of these things everyday!

What are your best “busy mom” tips?

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As a wife and mom of three boys, Jennifer Bowen, is always looking for cost cutting ideas and shortcuts to accomplish daily tasks. You can also find Jennifer on Twitter.

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Due to the recent birth of our beautiful baby girl, Nora Faith, I’ve rounded up an All-Star list of moms who effortlessly seem to manage work, home, family, life, and everything in between! You can read all their words of motherly wisdom here, as well as how they manage to “do it all” while still living a life they love.

I’ll be sharing my own thoughts and baby updates soon enough, but right now, I’m simply soaking up their trusted advice while cuddling with my new baby girl! 

The following is written by Aby from Simplify 101:

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Six weeks before my first baby’s due date, I thought I had everything under control. My baby shower was scheduled for the next Saturday, and I had a checklist and time-line in place for all the other remaining baby preparations.

What I didn’t realize was that the very next day my water would break.

I was scrubbing baseboards when I felt a little trickle — a little trickle that lead to an “oh no,” a tear-filled phone call to the doctor, and a panicked trip to the ER. (And no, my bag wasn’t packed yet.)

After five days on bed rest in the hospital, my doctor told me that my baby was on the way — Friday, November 13. He arrived five weeks early (the day before my baby shower) but he was a healthy baby boy — and that was the only thing that mattered.

Two days later, my husband and I brought baby Collin to his not-yet-ready home. This was when I learned my first lesson in parenting:  You are no longer in control! Another person now rules your home, your schedule, and your heart.

I don’t have any tips for dealing with the heart part (though I promise, you will get used to it soon enough.) But, thirteen years later, I have some ideas to help you stay organized while someone else rules your home and your schedule.

Tip 1:  Sleep when baby sleeps.

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It’s much easier to stay organized and keep up with the rest of your life when you’re well rested. So in the early days sleep when your baby sleeps.

In time, your baby will learn to sleep on your schedule, but until then, make sure you get plenty of rest by napping when baby naps. (You won’t have this luxury with baby number two, so enjoy it with baby number one.)

Tip 2: Ask for help.

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You’re not going to be able to do everything you did before you had a baby. Even though your baby will sleep a lot, he or she will take a lot of your time and energy. If you’re not one to ask for help, start practicing before baby arrives.

I had to learn how to ask for help while I was on bed rest in the hospital waiting for Collin to arrive. My friend Michelle helped me out by sewing sheets to fit the antique bassinet Collin was going to sleep in his first weeks at home. (This was one of those lingering items on my to-do list that didn’t get done before my water broke.) But thanks to Michelle’s help, baby Collin had a warm and cozy place to sleep his first weeks at home.

Tip 3:  Seek out shortcuts whenever you can.

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Shortcuts are a new mom’s best friend, so always be on the lookout for little ways you can save time. For example, you’ll be amazed at how much laundry one little bitty baby will create. Instead of folding your baby’s onesies, stack them in a pile and place them right in the dresser drawer.

Use just one style and color of baby socks, so you don’t have to spend time matching socks. Instead, simply drop all the socks into a basket (right next to that little stack of onesies.)

Tip 4:  Use containers and curtains to conceal baby clutter.

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Babies can also create a lot of clutter. There’s just so much stuff to care for one little person! Don’t stress about the clutter, conceal it! Corral little items like stuffed animals and rattles into small containers like metal buckets or baskets. Add a curtain to the front of your changing table to conceal less than perfect stacks of diapers, wipes and other changing necessities.

Tip 5: Enjoy every moment of it!

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These baby days are going to fly by. And you will miss them when they’re gone. So don’t worry about the clutter or the laundry or anything else. Instead, hold that baby just a little bit longer and enjoy every single minute of being a new Mom. Everything else can wait. (You’ll just have to trust me on that one.)

What tips would you add to this list?

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Aby Garvey is an organizing expert who believes organizing can be creative and fun—the more you love an organizing solution the more likely you are to use it! She is the co-owner of Simplify 101, a professional organizing business that specializes in online organizing workshops. Aby helps people around the world get organized via her online workshops and one-on-one coaching services.

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UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to:

Patti (Pattivredevoogd@…)

Muriel (msanders00@…)

Martha (marthamayv@…)

Jen (jenni1787@…)

Renee (reneejoy87@…)

Corey (corey.j.norris@…)

Debra L (Itsmelealee@…)

Crystal (hdfamilyof4@…)

Lani (lanilenore@…)

Kathi (kathibrn@…)

I will email you all to get your information!

Remember a couple weeks ago when we had a REALLY fun giveaway from Invite L.? I gave away some of their amazing Bag-in-Bags, yearly planners, and other accessories…

Well today, I’m back with another fantastic giveaway from the same company!

Since the New Year is just FIVE weeks away {yes 5}, you probably should be thinking about purchasing a new planner, or a refill for the planner you already have — you DO have a planner, right?

However, since I know many of you are way too busy doing your holiday shopping and recovering from a huge Thanksgiving meal; I thought I would make it really easy on you and give you an opportunity to win one of the best planners I’ve ever used.

Sound good?

I am currently using the Invite L. Agenda — and absolutely LOVE everything about it!

• I love the size {not too small, but not too big}.

• I love the bright yellow color.

• I love the clean, simple lines.

• I love that there are no preset dates so I can start the year whenever it’s convenient for me.

• I love the daily list of times so I can quickly and easily schedule meetings or other appointments.

• I love ALL the blank space below the daily list of  times where I can put to-dos or reminders for each day.

• I love the monthly at-a-glance calendars for each month.

• I love the large “notes” section in the back.

I could go on and on — but after using this planner for a while now, and realizing how top-quality all the Invite L. products are, I’m simply thrilled to be hosting today’s giveaway!

Oh, and you should seriously take a look at their new 2012 planner… gorgeous!

The Giveaway:

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Today, TEN lucky Simple Organized Living reader will win an Invite L. Planner or Agenda of choice.

How to Enter:

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1. Leave a comment. How do you currently keep track of your daily, weekly, and monthly schedules?

2. Like Simple Organized Living on Facebook, and then leave a separate comment letting me know you did {or that you do already}.

If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.

Prizes:

(10) Invite L. planners or agendas as described above

This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Monday, 11/28/2011 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comments at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!

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Are you busy? Are You Overwhelmed?

I know that for almost everyone reading this, the answer is a resounding YES!

We’re all busy. Busy with our jobs, our homes, our families, our hobbies, our “have-to’s”, our “want to’s”, and everything else going on in our lives.

I’ve shared my busy schedule before, and as a work-from-home person trying to renovate our house while running a business, hosting 2 international students, and preparing for a new baby to arrive in less than a month… I can definitlely say I AM BUSY!

However, I’m not overwhelmed.

Sure there are days when things get piled on and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to dig my way out; but for the most part, my busyness is under control — thanks to the help of a few simple routines we’ve implemented in our daily and weekly lives.

These basic routines save us so much time every week and they give order to our very busy schedules.  They are kind of unspoken rules that we follow and that we expect our international students to follow as well.

Head on over to the AboutOne blog to see how we simplify and organize our lives with routines!

Do you practice any daily or weekly routines?

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I was one of those weird kids who absolutely LOVED school — and I honestly did love everything about school!

So even though I was always excited for summer vacation, I was already “bored” and ready to go back after a week or two {I think my mom was ready for that too}.

I did play sports during the summer and we usually went on at least one family vacation, but for the rest of the time, my mom was “forced” to entertain my sister’s and me all summer long. Fortunately, we were pretty content to swim and play in the woods most of the time, but for those of you with super busy-body kids, keep reading…

22 Fun and FREE Summer Activities for Kids:

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1. Go swimming — a lake or pool will do

2. Run through the sprinklers, slide down a slip-n’-slide, and/or throw water balloons.

3. Go on a picnic {here are a few tips to help you plan your picnic}

4. Camp in your back yard — all the fun, plus clean bathrooms!

5. Make your own ice cream {here are a bunch of simple recipes}

6. Plant a garden {here’s a quick way to build a raised garden in one weekend}

7. Watch the sunset — or sunrise

8. Track the moon and stars {the next full moon is June 15, 2011}

9. Go hiking, biking, rollerblading, walking, etc.

10. Go to the zoo — there are always free family days

11. Visit a local museum — again, they often have free family days

12. Have a fun “muffin tin” lunch

13. Do crafts together — no you don’t have to be crafty! {here are a bunch of simple craft ideas}

14. Have your kids prepare a skit and then video tape them — this is always SO fun.

15. Scarf up free candy at a local parade

16. Go to the local library, they often have free kid’s programs all summer long

17. Watch home movies and flip through old photos

18. Sleep in late and stay in your PJ’s all day long

19. Play outdoor games like bocce ball, croquette, jump rope, hide and seek, badminton, etc.

20. “Decorate” your driveway with sidewalk chalk

21. Build a fort in the woods — or in the living room

22. Create a scavenger hunt or obstacle course in your back yard and let them invite their friends over.

These are just a few of the things I remember doing as a kid — and I know your kids will love them too. Plus they’re all free {or nearly free} so why not give them a try? Of course, you could always tackle a few organizing projects and even try to get your kids involved – but that might not be as much fun!

Oh, and I’m not sure if you noticed, but none of these activities involve computers, Nintendo, Wii, iPods, or most other forms of technology!

What did I miss? What are YOUR favorite frugal Summer activities?

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Linked to Things I Love Thursdays

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