Author | |
Angel Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2293
|
Posted: Oct 14 2009 at 7:32am | IP Logged
|
|
|
At Evlogia this morning there is an excellent post about her Cycles of Gracenotebook(s) and household files, all contained in a basket. Very helpful post!
__________________ Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Becky Parker Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005 Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2582
|
Posted: Oct 14 2009 at 11:46am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks for posting this Angela. I love the "Cycles of Grace" title and the beautiful notebooks. I also like the way she uses the binders AND a basket. Maybe that's my answer!
__________________ Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Rosesinsummer Forum Pro
Joined: July 18 2008
Online Status: Offline Posts: 127
|
Posted: Oct 14 2009 at 12:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks for this post. I know Fly Lady has a control journal/notebook that is similar.
I definitely need to pull something together..... I wish I was one of those born organized people. These kinds of projects are really difficult for me. I often start and never finish, or get stuck in the details and decision making of how to make it "perfect"
Maybe part of the problem is I want it done now. I need to learn patience and make it a goal to put it together a bit at a time, even if it takes several months. Then I can use it and tweak it to meet our families needs.
Oh, and I also like the post about Cycles of Grace. I think Liturgical/Seasonal notebooks sounds like a great idea!
Lyda
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Booksnbabes Forum All-Star
Joined: July 20 2008 Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline Posts: 4141
|
Posted: Oct 14 2009 at 1:35pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Oh, Lyda, that's me too! I'd rather eat the elephant whole than in small bites! I'm trying though, as I know life rolls along more smoothly when organized.
Thanks, all, for this thread!
__________________ Wife to wonderful DH, mom to SIX beautiful gifts from God!
|
Back to Top |
|
|
CrunchyMom Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline Posts: 6385
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Booksnbabes wrote:
Oh, Lyda, that's me too! I'd rather eat the elephant whole than in small bites! I'm trying though, as I know life rolls along more smoothly when organized.
Thanks, all, for this thread! |
|
|
I'm seeing the wisdom in the box/basket system for this, though, since all my little bites often get so lost.
I'm toying with using Microsoft OneNote to create my system. I figured out yesterday that I can create different templates for pretty, and I could print them out if I choose, but prior to printing them out, they are already accessible in a notebook/filefolder format virtually which is less cumbersome than multiple word documents. It isn't as flexible as Word in making things pretty, but I can "print" to OneNote and store the document as a file page there.
Wow, I'm glad I typed that out. It helped me troubleshoot a bit, lol.
Yesterday I made a recipe card template to start putting my Fall menu rotation recipes in. My plan is to print them and laminate them and put them on a ring for easy access so I don't keep looking up the same old recipes in a bunch of different cookbooks. I have a binder that my mom made of family favorites, and yet, I don't want ALL our favorite recipes on the cards including the family favorite recipe for that dish we make twice a year. This is more for the recipes we use at least monthly if not weekly or more. You'd think I'd have them memorized, but I don't, and the ones I do, my husband doesn't.
One cool feature for OneNote that I keep thinking is awesome but forgetting to use is the ability to quickly take a snapshot of any webpage and paste it into a notebook page. Perfect for shopping, brainstorming, and filing away ideas for future reference.
__________________ Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
Back to Top |
|
|
JodieLyn Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006 Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline Posts: 12234
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 4:18pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
It's not pretty but.. those who find "out of sight is out of mind" I use a bulletin board rather extensively.. phone numbers, CCD schedule, alter server schedule, my physical calender, bills (paying bills is so much easier when they land on my bulletin board right after they get here). I tuck scraps of paper with phone numbers into a pretty jar/vase and I have a basket for a catch all on top of my computer and a basket on a bookself for recipes.. but I also have a recipe book so that for the most often used recipes I can just grab the book.. this is also nice when we're visiting family and may help with the cooking.. toss it into a bag to go along and I have my most needed recipes.
My problem is not organizing.. Oh I can do a bang up job getting everything organized. But the moment I'm done it starts to fall apart because I'm absolutely abysmal at maintaining it. Things that don't get used often I can maintain. My totes for handme down clothes are wonderful.. but I only get them out about 2 times a year.. maybe a few extras here and there.. but because it's not something I need to use every day and often in a hurry I can keep up with them.
but I can't walk away from something and come back to it (it gets messed up or grows toddler sized feet etc) so things just get dumped and shoved and piled and then later I look at it, get overwhelmed and walk away until I just can't stand it and then have to let everything else fall apart in order to reorganize it.. again.
__________________ Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
Back to Top |
|
|
CrunchyMom Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline Posts: 6385
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 4:27pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jodie, I feel your pain, and I'm convinced that a labelmaker will solve this.
I'm starting to realize that I am a piler and not a filer. The problem is that I live in space with little surface area for spreading out baskets. I think perhaps hanging baskets or hanging wall file boxes could be a solution for some things, but I'd really like to solve this without buying anything.
I'm also trying to wrap my head around a "basket" for dh. I'm often finding his "work" for his current project or even battery chargers and the like spread about my kitchen and dining room. He doesn't have a study, and his workshop is the basement; so, I don't mind this except that I can't really do anything with it myself. I feel like he needs a nook, maybe a portable nook, where I can stow his current piles. I'm really struggling with this, though, since it is so variable.
__________________ Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
Back to Top |
|
|
JodieLyn Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006 Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline Posts: 12234
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 4:32pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Lindsay, some sort of basket/box/tote but then put the individual project into a bag (a plastic grocery bag maybe with the handles tied) that way they won't get mixed up with each other.
__________________ Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Erin Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005 Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline Posts: 5814
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 4:54pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Crunchymom wrote:
Yesterday I made a recipe card template to start putting my Fall menu rotation recipes in. My plan is to print them and laminate them and put them on a ring for easy access so I don't keep looking up the same old recipes in a bunch of different cookbooks. |
|
|
I LOVE this idea, brilliant Lindsay!! I'm actually getting excited (amazing that)
Crunchymom wrote:
I'm starting to realize that I am a piler and not a filer. The problem is that I live in space with little surface area for spreading out baskets. I think perhaps hanging baskets or hanging wall file boxes could be a solution for some things, but I'd really like to solve this without buying anything. |
|
|
I'm a piler too, I've been working diligently on filing and have succeeded but... out of sight out of mind. Because I have very little wall space I've started 'filing' more visually on my learning/working blog and that is helping more, I was 'filing' on the computer, which helped with the paper clutter but then I forgot.
Lindsay, what is a labelmaker?
__________________ Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
Back to Top |
|
|
JodieLyn Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006 Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline Posts: 12234
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 5:08pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
oh.. one thing that greatly helps is I use email drafts.. again the out of sight out of mind thing.. when I turn on the computer windows mail automatically opens and I keep it open basically all day.. I save drafts and have a folder for recipes, another to keep up with online shopping, one for songs I like having the words handy, I keep my shopping list there, hiomeschool nees list, case good sale list, herbalcom.com list, waltonfeed list, bucket list (umm this is actually what I have in buckets and how many buckets and how much it holds of that item)
Now I want a calender and notebook on the computer that I can use for this that will sync with a phone so that I can have that information with me anywhere :D
I can't tell you how much better I'm organized by the simple fact of using my phone calender because IT WILL BEEP AT ME so that I can remember what I'm supposed to be doing
__________________ Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Booksnbabes Forum All-Star
Joined: July 20 2008 Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline Posts: 4141
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 5:16pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Uh oh, Jodie...I already want a smartphone, don't make it a necessity!
__________________ Wife to wonderful DH, mom to SIX beautiful gifts from God!
|
Back to Top |
|
|
JodieLyn Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006 Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline Posts: 12234
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 5:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
well just to help you resist.. any of the newer phones with verizon require a data plan which is $30 a month on top of your regular phone service.
There are a couple of older phone options that can sync to the computer and don't require that but then I start fantasizing about being able to get online with the phone rather like a mini-laptop and how dh could use that when he's gone for work.. or we could both be on the computer at home but i could be using the phone and sitting on the couch or back in my room..
__________________ Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
Back to Top |
|
|
CrunchyMom Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline Posts: 6385
|
Posted: Oct 15 2009 at 7:26pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Erin wrote:
Crunchymom wrote:
Yesterday I made a recipe card template to start putting my Fall menu rotation recipes in. My plan is to print them and laminate them and put them on a ring for easy access so I don't keep looking up the same old recipes in a bunch of different cookbooks. |
|
|
I LOVE this idea, brilliant Lindsay!! I'm actually getting excited (amazing that)
Lindsay, what is a labelmaker? |
|
|
I'm pretty sure that Martha Stewart planted that idea in my mind years ago and I'm only just getting around to implementing
A labelmaker is a word I made up for label maker
I decided to throw perfectionism to the wind, though, while I don't have one. My birthday is December 4, and I requested one from my family. In the meantime, I swiped a roll of blue painter's tape from dh's workshop and stuck a sharpie in my apron pocket, and I've been labeling as I redefine homes for things this week. I figure that I can have fun with my new toy when I get it (whenever that turns out to be) and go through the house remaking all the blue labels I've made pretty.
So, I just did a quick search, and here is a link to MS's version of my idea. I sort of like my idea of printing them all out the same size better, though, and possibly having them change seasonally.
I also found this idea which I'm making a version of as soon as I can get the baby to bed. I thought I remembered it as one of those MS ideas I wanted to implement some day, and sure enough, it was there. Well, I think it might just be a good match using vertical space like a bulletin board but potentially more organized. I also have all the supplies I need to do it on hand.
__________________ Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Becky Parker Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005 Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2582
|
Posted: Oct 16 2009 at 6:56am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Quote:
I also found this idea which I'm making a version of as soon as I can get the baby to bed. I thought I remembered it as one of those MS ideas I wanted to implement some day, and sure enough, it was there. Well, I think it might just be a good match using vertical space like a bulletin board but potentially more organized. I also have all the supplies I need to do it on hand. |
|
|
This is great. I can use something like this in my kid's bedrooms and maybe near the front door as part of our "launching pad".
__________________ Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Pamin OZ Forum Pro
Joined: Sept 28 2006
Online Status: Offline Posts: 157
|
Posted: Oct 16 2009 at 10:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I'm the opposite to maybe everyone else on the Internet but Binders don't work for me. Out of sight, out of mind. I think baskets would be the same. I like the noticeboard idea.
I have a page stuck on my kitchen cupboard which I call my "brain on a page" which is all the things I need to remember- chores, jobs, cleaning, meal ideas etc etc. I like knowing it's instantly accessible- I get stressed trying to remember what's in the binder. I think I have a one-step brain- two steps is just one too many! (sigh)
I am changing my recipe organization to putting each section on a clipboard. Then when I find the recipe I want I can just move it to the front and not have to replace it after I use it.
__________________ Pam in Sydney
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/paminoz/
|
Back to Top |
|
|
JodieLyn Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006 Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline Posts: 12234
|
Posted: Oct 17 2009 at 2:03am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Pam sounds like you need one of those big round address files.. rolodex? you know the ones you just flip around and around and don't have to turn back to the front... for recipes I mean
__________________ Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
Back to Top |
|
|
CrunchyMom Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline Posts: 6385
|
Posted: Oct 17 2009 at 7:34am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Okay, so I haven't made the clothespin thingy yet. I couldn't figure out exactly where I wanted it to go, so I wasn't sure of the length.
BUT, I came across this desk, and if you scroll down to number 5., you'll notice the curtain tension rod with clippy curtain rings. I stuck a tension rod with clippy rings under the cabinet I want to make our office station! I already had the clippy rings, and the rod was $3.50 (plus I had a gift card). I'll take a picture when I'm done.
I'm afraid that it doesn't look as elegant as if all I had to hang on it were antique photos, but it is pretty cute, if I say so myself. I think I'm going to try to label by putting a dab of hot glue on a card and the top teeth so the label will always stay in front.
__________________ Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
Back to Top |
|
|
|
|