Cleaning, it’s something we all have to do. And although I love to organize, cleaning is not something I look forward to doing. Let’s face it, unless you have some kind of cleaning schedule, everything tends to add up in the end of the week and then you have to spend a whole day cleaning. Cleaning all day = no fun!
We are fresh into the new year. With that said, I promised myself this year was going to be my “cleanest” year ever. So here is what I have done so far:
Cleaning Schedule
First I sat down and wrote down everything that I needed to do to get the house in order and clean. Then I split those chores up during the week.
This is what that looks like:
I decided to print and laminate my list so I can check off the chore once it’s done and be able to erase and reuse the following week.
Unfortunately while I printed I noticed something my husband has been pointing out for a while. I need a new printer.
The colors are no longer coming out as vibrant as I would like, but finding a new printer can be a headache.
Get in my Caddy
Once I got my cleaning schedule ready, I came up with a solution for easier transitions from one room to the next.
A cleaning caddy!
All I need now is some nifty cleaning gloves and with all my cleaning products in one place, I am ready to get at it!
Is it Spring Yet?
Nope, not until March but in the meantime I found something to help you get prepared for this wonderful time of the year! A spring cleaning checklist from Martha Stewart. Not only does she tackle the cleaning checklist but she also shares tips and tricks on how to do additional stuff like patch a screen. Cool Stuff.
That’s it. I’m ready to tackle the mess. Cleaning doesn’t seem as bad as it did before.
I will make sure and keep you updated on switching to green products. As of now I am in love with the Method & J.R. Watkins products. Now if I can switch all of my kitchen produce to Organics and greens we would be in a much better place. What kind of products do you use? Do you make your own, or use green products? Do you have a favorite printer that prints vibrant colors???
Quarantine My Mom!
I have been quarantined in my room for the past week!
The darn flu got me big time, and all I have been thinking about while I have been sick is cleaning. It’s funny how fast the house gets turned upside down when your out of commission. Thankfully my husband has no problem loading the dishwasher. I am not sure if it’s because he want’s to help me out, or if it’s cause there are no clean cups for him to drink some water. Whatever the reason is, I’m glad he does it.
Truth be told, my son’s 6th birthday was last week and we promised him a trip to Legoland last Saturday. We had to skip it and reschedule it for this weekend because of how bad a shape I was in, not to mention I had to reschedule my teaching hours at the Pilates Studio. While I have not had much to say about my Pilates certification process, I am happy to inform you that it is getting closer to my final months!! I am so excited and nervous on the testing out process though. One thing is for sure, I am 100% happy I made the decision in getting into Pilates since day 1. I will be sharing some Pilates exercises you can do at home to strengthen your core soon!
Spring Cleaning Checklist
Yeah I know it’s not spring yet but I already have the itch to purge this house from top to bottom! My husband has been fortunate enough to be busy at work, unfortunately for me the purging has to wait. But as soon as he has some free time , we will share with you how we sell and get the most for our unused items.
Seriously, we have been married for 9 years, and boy do things we don’t use accumulate.
What I have been doing this week is brainstorming. I am putting together a checklist of my daily & deep cleaning routine that I am sure you will get good use of.
Making a cleaning Caddy { Post Preview }
Here is a quick Iphone pic so you can see the cleaning caddy. There is a few items that I need to add so I am not going to show you it just yet!
Going Green
While I have been putting together my cleaning list I have been contemplating on going green with all my cleaning products. Slowly I have been switching daily household products to Organic products and in the process I found this wonderful site by the name of VINE. Right now they have this special offer for 20% off your first order, which makes it even better for all of you that want to give it a try!
It’s Organic central!! They have everything your little heart desires, and the only bummer was finding this site so long after I began switching my products. I personally love the J.R. Watkins cleaning products. My current obsession is the Kids’ Juicy Sweet Apple Foaming Hand Soap, I love the smell, and my 3-year-old can easily pump away his little germy hands on his own. It’s a must try!
What are your favorite cleaning products? Do you follow a cleaning schedule or just wing it? Would you pass a white glove test?
Happy New Year!! New Year, New Goals. Included in my list of new goals is making my Family Organization Binder a bit more functional. I have tried like many to find a system that works for my family and am open to give new things a try. Last year I shared with you how I had a filing system set up on my desk, however that took up much needed desk space so I decided to add some of those files to my Family Organization Binder and left some of those hanging files for filing use only.
Let’s take a look at how I set up this years organization binder:
1. First I put together a list of materials I was going to need to make my binder.
2. I went ahead and used my previous cover sheet from my organized home printable.
3. I put together the list of tabs I was going to need to print on my label maker.
The first thing you see when you open my binder is two slots for my incoming mail. Here I separate my mail as soon as it comes in. The top slot is for all bills due form the 1st thru the 15th and the second slot is for bills due from the 16th to the end of the month.
The second thing you will see as soon as you open my binder is the pen pouch. 
I have a small obsession with pens so I like to keep them handy.
Let’s now go thru the tabs together:
Most Printables are found in my Etsy store and others you will find here for free. For those that are free, you will see they are linked to the pdf.
My Tabs are as follows:
Meal plan - In this tab I have My Free Printable Monthly Calendar, Inventory checklist and weekly meal plan checklist.
You might wonder why I have a whole other monthly calendar apart from my planner in this section. I like to keep my calendar separate for two reasons. 1st It keeps my planner calendar clean or other events I might want to add and two It makes it easier to remove and place on the fridge in a clear paper protector.
Cleaning - In this tab I have my cleaning checklist
Lists - Auto Maintenance, babysitters notes, gift giving lists.
Budget- The next few tabs are all having to with finances. Here is where the majority of paper builds up in our home, so it’s only obvious that we would have a few more sections to clear out the clutter. The first tab is budget, here you will find our family budget.
Checklist - Finance checklist…. What is due, when it’s due and if it’s been paid.
Due 1st - 15th - Here you will hole punch the bill once it’s paid and place in here for future filing. I usually pay all my bills online, so I will mark the stub as paid and place in this section.
Due 16th - 31st - Diddo with the above
Debt and Savings - Here I keep a list of current debts and how much is owed as well as any saving deposits with a current balance to keep in perspective how much savings is being done.
School Info - All school information is stored here. It includes schedules, computer passwords, recommended books, etc.
2013 Printable Planner - My planner has all my families schedule, birthdays, and events for the year.
And that is it!
So what do you think? Is this a project you are looking forward to creating? Leave a comment and let me know! If you are already on the bandwagon what benefits have you found in your binder? What tabs work for you? What printable would you like to see in the future? Do you have a blog with organizational tips? Please do share!
January is a full on Organization month here at Sweet Paper Trail and I would like for you to share your Family Binder success stories. Join in on the fun and blog about your new 2013 management binder (include photos) . At the end of the month we will do a fun post showcasing some of your binders and link up are successes { My First Link Party! }.
It’s that time of year. We are getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. With that said, here is a shiny new free 2013 printable monthly calendar for you to enjoy.
I use this printable monthly calendar for my meal planning. That way if I have an event or something going on in the future weeks I can prepare my meal plan accordingly. All I ask for in return is a comment below letting me know you downloaded it, a pin would be nice as well.
Hope you enjoy it, please go ahead and pin it- let everyone know how great it is, and make sure to follow me on Pinterest for more free printables!
I have been trying to get myself organized and on some type of schedule lately . . . Life can get so busy at home with my boys, and Pilates, and errands that I feel like sometimes I waste away my time doing unproductive tasks. We all know how the all mighty World Wide Web can pull you in at 8am and not let you free till it’s too late to actually get anything done.
So here it is!! Another freebie! A Free Printable Blog Calendar to get yourself together.
Love it as much as I do? Pin it! It will go great in your household binder.
{click on the image for the free printable blog calendar to download}
{ If you love to share as much as I do, feel free to do so and use any of my printables and downloads as long as they are credited and accompanied by a link back to Sweet Paper Trail. The photos should remain in their original state and are copyrights protected., I would appreciate a comment if you download. }
Unfortunately while I printed I noticed something my husband has been pointing out for a while. I need a new printer.