The first thing I did this week is buy a laundry sorter for the kids. Jim and I already have one and it works well for us, but the kids had one laundry basket for all of their dirty clothes. One basket sounds simple enough, but one laundry basket meant that I had to sort through the entire basket of clothes BEFORE I could even do laundry. With a sleeping baby in that room a couple of times a day (the most convenient times to do laundry so I can run up and down stairs without a tagalong), it made the laundry process a lot more difficult than it really needed to be.
So, back to the laundry sorter . . . I labeled the three different mesh bags--whites, darks, and towels (this is one advantage to having children that read!), and we had fun sorting through the pile of laundry together and deciding which bag each item belongs in!! Having the laundry pre-sorted has meant a much simpler laundry process for me this week--no more sorting through the big pile of clothes!! I love that I can see through the mesh bags and know which loads of laundry I need to do for the day and I can quickly grab the fullest one on my way out of the room as I put the baby down for a nap! Another advantage is that a mesh bag is so much easier to haul up and down the stairs with my pregnant belly and laundry getting through two baby gates! So for now I have simplified the laundry process so I can have all of my laundry washed, folded an put away much easier (just kidding, that almost NEVER happens around here :) Really, I'm just hoping the kids continue to be as good as they have at putting their dirty clothes where they go--since right now we are still in the "fun" stage and I'm sure they will outgrow that at some point. Three cheers for simplifying something in my life! Why did it take me so long to make this $16 investment for my sanity??
My next area of simplicity . . . vacuuming! I got a new vacuum! You might ask, what is wrong with my current vacuum? Let me tell you . . . I have a really nice vacuum called a Hyla which I love! I does a great job and also does wet pick up which has saved me on more than one occasion. The problem is that it is somewhat of a complicated vacuuming process--fill up with water, haul up and down the stairs, empty the water. Pregnant me with sciatic nerve issues, four children and the Hyla do not mix. The Hyla is a great deep-cleaning, once-a-week vacuum. The problem is that a home with four children is not a once-a-week vacuum project, sometimes it isn't even a once-a-day project. I needed something to simplify the vacuuming process.
My husband being the picky vacuum person that he is (he had his own business selling the Hyla for a while) didn't want a cheap corded vacuum (which I would have been totally okay with). He wanted something that was easy for me to use, doesn't take up a lot of space, and was somewhat of a quality machine that would last for a while. I really wanted something that would vacuum at least as well as inexpensive corded vacuum or better. He researched on the Internet and we ended up spending more than I really wanted, but got a pretty slick little machine. I just got it yesterday and after charging the battery before use, it has already been used a couple of times (I told you a four kid house was at least a once-a-day vacuuming project.) Anyways, I love it! It stores nicely in the pantry and the battery comes out for charging so I don't have to have the vacuum plugged in to charge. SO NICE!! I am so looking forward to this new simplified process and being able to keep my home a little cleaner with a simple, easy to use, cordless vacuum! Hooray again that my husband loves me--this vacuum is so much nicer than what I would have picked out for myself :)
The next thing I have been working on is a way to simplify our school day and be more organized. I ran across this idea of workboxes the other day and I have been putting them together so we can get started in the next couple of weeks. I think this will hold me more accountable because I have to have everything planned and set up in advance. It will also teach the children to work independently and allow them (and me) a little more freedom. I think it will also make it so we can get to more of the fun stuff that we really love doing together rather than being so exhausted once we get through the basics (after pulling teeth some days!) I am way excited to try this out soon and then get everything ready for next school year in the fall when we also add another little guy to the mix. I have had a lot of fun designing the boxes to put stuff in. I will post pictures when I have a chance and explain the system better with links to some blogs and websites.
Another thing that I have done hit and miss, but is really great at simplifying the snack process around here is to fill up little containers with fruit, jello, pudding, yogurt, etc. and have them ready to go in the fridge. It is so nice to give my children healthy food choices for snacks and if they are already ready it means I don't have to drop everything to open a can of fruit cocktail especially when my hands are full with a baby or something else.
Some other ideas for simplifying my life that I haven't gotten to yet are these . . .
--Making a master list of phone numbers for doctors, dentists, etc. and a schedule of when people last visited all of these fun people. As I have more children I am not so great at keeping track of this stuff and I've learned that if I don't make my next appointment before I leave the doctor, chances are that it will take me forever to remember and finally get around to it (and that's only if I can find the number when I need it and I don't have screaming children so I can actually carry on a conversation with someone.) I also need to remember when my husband and I last visited the eye doctor so that we don't wait until we are on the last pair on contacts to make an appointment (as is the case with me at this very moment!)
--Figuring out a better way to organize and store children's clothing for the next child. I want to make a clothing inventory list as I put stuff away so that I know what I have to use for the next child. Since we have so many boys, sometimes there are only a few items of clothing that need to be purchased to make it through a certain stage, and sometimes the previous boy has pretty much worn everything out and we have to start new. I want a checklist so I know (especially during seasons changes) what I need to buy so I can get in on the good sales early and not buy stuff we don't need, and forget what we really do need! I store all of my clothing in bins sorted and labeled inside the bin in plastic ziploc bags. This sounds complicated, but it is sure nice when I pull stuff out. I will post pics as I am in the middle of this massive clothes organization project. I also want to decide on a time frame when I want to go through clothes, closets and drawers and put stuff away and pull out new stuff and have a fashion show with the kids to decide what fits, etc. The clothing issue becomes bigger and more complicated the more children I have.
While on the subject of clothing, I just have to put in a plug for Shopko and their kid tough guarantee. I only buy pants at Shopko on sale. Sears also does this, but you have to keep receipts. Anyways, the kids put a hole in the pants and you take them back in for a new pair. Same size, same brand. No questions asked. I can't tell you how many pairs of pants we have been saved from buying because of this deal. I have four pairs of pants that I'm hoping to take in later today. It is so nice and worth a couple extra bucks which most of the time isn't even the case unless you are comparing new clothing prices to what you can get at the DI (by the way I am NOT a DI shopper--nothing against those who are, I just think I would be crazy (okay, I'm already crazy, but I would be on the verge of insane) if I were to take my children to the DI to sort through racks. Also, in my personal shopping experiences I have found NEW shirts for less than you can buy a used shirt at the DI--so why wouldn't I choose new?)
The last project or two that I am going to mention to hold myself somewhat accountable are:
-A household cleaning schedule so I can rotate through those deep cleaning, feels so good to know it is done once in a while chores. I'm thinking some sort of card system. I like flylady, but not everything there works for me because of all the little ones I have running around! I'm also going to get the kids involved in a better chore system including making a gunny bag (a pillow case with a face on it) that eats leftover toys (the toys the kids don't pick up) and then the kids have to do something to earn them back. Haven't worked out the details yet, just one of those ideas I want to try.
-Organizing my recipes and being better about menu planning. I have been wanting to do this for years. I think my husband will pass out if I ever really do accomplish this. Haven't figured out the best way to organize recipes yet--if anyone has ideas, let me know. Do I put them in a book or use index cards?
-A better system for updating finances in the computer and paying bills.
-An organized place to do school. This is actually one of the things on the top of my list even though it has been placed here at the bottom!
So it might be another couple of years before I post again as I work on all these projects that are time-consuming up front, but time-saving in the end! Wish me luck!
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