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Erin
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| Posted: April 09 2008 at 3:48pm | IP Logged
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Here on the board and in blogosphere there has been much talk (and in our homes much work) regarding de-cluttering and laundry etc. In America it is Spring, here I'm nesting  and maybe other members have simply caught the fever. 
Anyhow I'd like to start a thread specifically to share organisational tips. Those little/big things that make your household routine run smoother. Something that you've implemented, or are about to. It may have revolutionized your life, or maybe you think 'that's so glaringly obvious that everyone would know' not so.
I'll start.
Organisational Tips: Since we became a soccer family I started out with all boots and shin pads to be returned to me after trainings and games, to be stored in a zipped bag in my room. We're now up to two bags with five players. Oh and I place all soccer socks and pants in a bag in my room too. This has worked well, what is not working well is having to 'nag' to get the said items to my room by nightfall.
I have a new 'idea' starting next training I am going to place the bags in the carso as the dc enter the car they can place them in. (they shed their shoes as we travel, so glad I'm not sitting back there ) and I'll have a bag for the socks to go straight to the laundry.
Oh and the water bottles, I'm off today to buy a rectangular basket that will sit on my fridge with water bottles inside. Training and games these will be filled and we will walk out the door with basket in hand.
Household tip: I learnt this recently. When you are making gravy, use the pea/broccoli water as it helps get that browner look.
Look forward to hearing from you all.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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Fe2h2o
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 1:54am | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
| ... here I'm nesting |
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Here was I wondering what was going on—surely it's too soon to be nesting! But if you are, maybe that's the answer for me as well:-)
*grin*
No tips off the top of my head (but I'll definitely be following with much interest:-) )
Fe
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The Genial Hearth
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 8:26am | IP Logged
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Here we have two on swim team and two in soccer. I keep almost everything by the garage door -- fins/goggles/water bottles/shin guards/shoes/balls. It helps, but sometimes the kids will take a ball out back and forget. Last year I made a checklist and left it in the car. Then when we loaded up, I'd run through the list and anyone who had forgotten anything could run back in. Now I've got that list "stored" in my brain, and it's not going so well! 
I love the gravy idea!
Something that helps with errand running (especially with gas prices) when I remember to do it: I keep things to be returned to people or stores, library books that we're done with, random things (like ink cartridges and plastic bags to be recycled) in the car. Then when I'm out in "that part of town" I can drop things by. So, so often I have to make extra trips out because I'm not prepared that way or "forgot."
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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mcchatty
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 9:11am | IP Logged
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My biggest struggle used to be sports uniforms. With many sports going at once, especially school sports when all the uniforms are the same colors, pieces invariably got lost, leading to a frantic search on game day. I now own a lot of those mesh "lingerie bags" (big ones- got at dollar store)
I've labelled them with a sharpie (very high tech). Each kid has one per sports, (example "Charlie Baseball") you could just use the kids name though.(or even just have some plain bags near all your hampers) My athletes know (most of the time The entire uniform gets zipped into the bag as they disrobe- all of it, except shoes. The whole shebang gets tossed into the hamper, it goes through the washer and dryer zipped up and all I do is put the bag back in the appropriate closet(thread a hanger through the mesh) or bag. Literally, changed my life! -It isn't perfect for baseball because the pants need to be bleached- but overall it works wonderfully.
TODAY I am finding a container to fit in the fridge for water bottles- AWESOME idea.
I do keep a case of mega mart bottled water in my van- I even have a ribbon tied around a head rest with a sharpie tied to the other end for labelling "emergency" waters. It's helpful, but reusable water bottles are better for lots of reasons.
I am learning so much!
Mcchatty
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 11:21am | IP Logged
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I don't keep water in the fridge. I keep it in the freezer, which then keeps the freezer full and keeps electric costs down. When we leave and bring a cooler with us, I just pull out the frozen water bottles. They keep the food cold, and by the time we are ready to eat the ice has melted for water to drink.
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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Willa
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
Household tip: I learnt this recently. When you are making gravy, use the pea/broccoli water as it helps get that browner look.
Look forward to hearing from you all. |
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Oh, and also using the vegetable water for gravy helps preserve the nutrients from the vegetables that would have gone down the drain with the water otherwise.
One laundry simplifier that I think I got from this board -- buy a different brand of socks for each child -- visibly different. It has cut down on sorting decisions immensely. I keep the old socks -- the ones that aren't matched to a particular child -- in a box in the laundry room and if anyone runs out of "his" own socks he can fish around in there.
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 12:18pm | IP Logged
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Ok, this one is a little weird, but it works for me.
Every time I go into the bathroom to "use the facilities," I make it a habit that before I leave the room I tidy or clean one small thing(ex, wipe the counter, empty waste basket, straighten toiletries, wipe the toilet seat, shake out the bath mat, clean a hair brush, pick up bath toys, gather used towels,etc).
Since this happens several times per day this habit keeps the bathroom fairly tidy throughout the week so that it isn't much to do when cleaning day rolls around. And since it is a habit and only takes a few seconds, I get it done without even thinking about it. 
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Theresa
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 12:29pm | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
| Every time I go into the bathroom to "use the facilities," I make it a habit that before I leave the room I tidy or clean one small thing(ex, wipe the counter, empty waste basket, straighten toiletries, wipe the toilet seat, shake out the bath mat, clean a hair brush, pick up bath toys, gather used towels,etc). |
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That's not wierd!!! Cuz I do this too!!!!  It practically eliminates a major cleaning of the bathroom with the exception of wiping behind the toilet and scrubbing the bathtub. This way, I can have the kids "clean the bathroom" and it's not totally gross for them, but they doing it and learning.
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Suzanne in ID
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Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
lapazfarm wrote:
| Every time I go into the bathroom to "use the facilities," I make it a habit that before I leave the room I tidy or clean one small thing(ex, wipe the counter, empty waste basket, straighten toiletries, wipe the toilet seat, shake out the bath mat, clean a hair brush, pick up bath toys, gather used towels,etc). |
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That's not wierd!!! Cuz I do this too!!!! It practically eliminates a major cleaning of the bathroom with the exception of wiping behind the toilet and scrubbing the bathtub. This way, I can have the kids "clean the bathroom" and it's not totally gross for them, but they doing it and learning. |
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I do this, too. I do it in many of the rooms I visit, making sure things travel back to their "homes", straighten up, wipe down. Just small bits and pieces. Many times I only have snatches of time with free hands, so I grab the opportunity!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
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Erin
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| Posted: April 10 2008 at 4:29pm | IP Logged
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cathhomeschool wrote:
Last year I made a checklist and left it in the car. Then when we loaded up, I'd run through the list and anyone who had forgotten anything could run back in. Now I've got that list "stored" in my brain, and it's not going so well!
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What a great idea!
Isn't it funny how written works so much better than in mum's head. I've found this often too.
Mcchatty
Do the clothes wash well in the bags? I've often wondered about this.
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Erin
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mcchatty
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They wash just fine. Even the socks! If I have to presoak- I do the whole shebang. Haven't ruined anything yet. I do separate baseball and football pants because they need to be bleached. EVERYTHING else stays together the whole time. I used to spend part of every Saturday morning racing frantically around trying to find the right color socks or this years jersey. My neighbor once told me she had to laugh because she heard me yelling "Is Joe #27?" and she knew I didn't have that many kids! I was walking around holding 6 royal blue jerseys trying to figure out which one I needed! Now its all contained and getting it into the right drawer is a snap.I put the whole thing in the drawer or closet, it only gets debagged when it's being put on. The hard part is training the troops- but they quickly realize how much nicer it is to not have to look under the bed for one red soccer sock!
blessings,
McChatty
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CAgirl4God
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| Posted: April 11 2008 at 12:34pm | IP Logged
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as long as you don't stuff the bag too full they wash very well.
used to have to do that in boot camp. LOL
Our kids also a kind of sock assigned to them.. makes it very easy on laundry day! lol
and bathroom cleaning? not weird.
I keep clorox wipes under each sink (including the kitchen). it makes for easy fast clean ups between deep cleans.
now there is NO excuse for sloppy toilets from the men in this house! lol
I also have sorter bins in my laundry room. I bought a nice strong one from Costco. each one has three bags that hang from the cart. the kids sort their own laundry into it.. limiting what I have to do (and teaching them!!! ) it makes laundry VERY easy to do.
we keep a large pretty basket by our front door area. everyone takes off their shoes anyway and leaves them there.. so out everyday shoes (flops and tennies) just get thrown in the basket. it keeps things so much neater... and no one kills themselves tripping over shoes lol.
in each kid's room, we keep a misc. basket the toy shelf. it makes for quicker clean up. and that basket gets cleaned out as needed.
since we use towels here alot (beach towels) I had dh hang hooks both inside and outside to hang them to dry. I don't like to wash them each time.. so they need a place to dry. and saves $$
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PDyer
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| Posted: April 11 2008 at 3:31pm | IP Logged
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Several years ago in desperation I bought a case of accessory boxes from the Container Store. We had just moved into an older home with interesting (tall and narrow) storage options, and I had a very busy toddler bent on destruction. They stack and the busy toddler could not get the lids off. I use these boxes for EVERYTHING: office/school supplies; medication/first aid items; math manipulatives; Montessori-ish materials; you name it, I've probably had it in a box at one time or another. Great, great buy.
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Patty
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Maryan
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I keep all the kids' Sunday shoes in a crate in my closet. This came as a result of a 2 year old that liked to try on shoes both his size or others and take out the shoe laces, etc.
I leave the crate at the front door as we leave. When we come home from Mass all the shoes go right back in the crate... and then back in my closet.
It's made going to Sunday Mass much easier.
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Organisational / Household Tips
