how to get organized — Blog — Local fun for kids

Are you constantly trying to get more organized? I have always tried to be organized, but I still felt like there was just too much going on. Between the kid's activities, school, work and managing a household, it was a bit chaotic. I've always admired women I see who are uber-organized. Now that I'm following their lead, I finally feel like I'm getting things under control. Here's how I'm doing it.

How a Busy Mom Can Get Organized

Step 1: The first thing you need is a binder. I picked out this vibrant binder (above) because the design makes me happy and it's so colorful. Getting a really bright binder with a funky pattern also makes it easy to find if you're moving it from room to room around the house.

Step 2: Get a Few Other Supplies - Buy clear letter size sheet protectors to place throughout the binder. You can put any pending bills, school forms or stamps right up front so that you don't forget about them. That way, your most important paperwork will be the first thing you'll see when you open your binder. This helps tremendously!

If you don't already have a 3 hole punch . you'll want to get one of those too. And, I personally LOVE having a thermal laminator so that I can laminate any papers that I'll be using often. This helps to keep them clean and easy to find in the binder. If you don't want to get a laminator, Scotch sells packs of self-sealing laminating sheets that are really easy to use without a laminating machine.

Step 3 - Insert a calendar into your binder. My husband and I like coordinating our schedules on a Google Calendar, but nothing beats a good old fashioned paper calendar to track your events and activities throughout the year. If you already have a paper calendar that you started for this year, you can easily punch holes in it and pop it in your binder, like I did above.

Step 4 - Get the Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner. Susan, a.k.a. The Confident Mom, has made an incredible household cleaning/organizing schedule for the entire year! This is a huge help to getting organized because she tells you exactly what you need to stay on track. Having reminders to change the sheets on the bed, clean out the microwave and even make "me time" can help you feel so organized. I like using her suggested taks, but you can also print off a blank copy if that suits you better.

Step 5- Make Your Binder Work For You. There is a tremendous amount of resources out there. You can make your binder as simple or detailed as you choose. I decided to add in a blank weekly planner so that I can keep track of our weekly finances and Money Saving Mom has a fantastic list of Resources to Help you Get Organized you can check out too.

For the first time in a long time, I feel quite organized and it feels wonderful! I'm sure there will be things that slip through the cracks, and I am definitely a work-in-progress, but at least I know I am doing everything I can to stay on track.

What do you do to find simplicity and harmony in a busy household? I'd love to know more tips!