Calling all super-organized people...

[Anonymous]

Take time to plan the night before and make lists.

When you deliberate about the items for the next day, you are actively thinking about what you need to do. This will help you prioritize, but will also help you in remembering what needs to be done. Our brains work better with remembering things which are not abstract.

Review the list and update during day as priorities change.

Thanks to technology, life is much easier for we absentminded professor types.

[Anonymous]

I love the Cozi app -- calendar, lists (shopping, to do, whatever), menus and meal planning - and it syncs across the whole family. I upgraded us to the gold version so I can also track birthdays, contacts, and maybe some other stuff. It's really helpful. I just wish they would add a budgeting and expense-tracking feature. But I highly recommend it.

[Anonymous]

OP here and thank you thank you, seriously thank you. I'm going to focus on the first few baby steps for now:
1) sticking with a consistent bedtime routine, including prepping for a smooth morning
2) making lists (shopping, meal, to do, and a weekly schedule) in one spot where I can access both with my computer and phone. Reviewing nightly.
3) discarding, decluttering - this one is not really a baby step, but I can at least start somewhere...

I've bookmarked this thread so I can come back to it and try out a lot of the great suggestions that posters have given.

As for getting my spouse to help out, that is a lost cause. I am actually the one and only organizer of the family. He is like an 80 year old grandpa who is really set in his ways. He refuses to use a calendar, and is anti technology. Sometimes he doesn't even keep track of when he's scheduled to work or when he has time off. His one and only organizational strategy that he uses is to TOSS it. He doesn't even remember most of the thing he's tossed, because he does it reflexively - he's thrown out lots of stuff that were not supposed to be. He hardly ever writes anything down - he remembers what he deems important, and the rest of it, he discards out of his brain never to be found again. Luckily he has a much better memory than I do. So anyway, it's all on me.

And to the pp who asked about my parents - no, I was not lucky enough to have parents that taught me organizational or even cleaning skills. I've had to figure it out on my own. Both my parents worked long hours, so I never saw them until after 8pm, even on weekends. They didn't have the time or patience to teach that type of thing.

Wish me luck!! Thanks again...

[Anonymous]

Good luck, OP! I'm living proof that you can train yourself to be organized. I am the child of two boarderline hoarders. My husband is also relentless about tossing stuff, regardless of how important it is. Both DH and DC have bad cases of ADHD, so I'm the primary organizer around here.

Use your electronics. They make being organized so much easier.

We use iCal - one for each member of the family, color coded & they all sync to everyone's device. D.C. Has an extra one for homework.

Desktop computer accounts - one for each member of the family. My bookmarks, docs, etc are mine. Each member also has their own iTunes account - it makes it so much easier to separate stuff out when your kids get older. Each member has their own Contacts address book, which sync where applicable.

Notes app - it syncs between apps and stays current. I keep one note page for meal planning & use a grocery app that syncs between devices and can be easily emailed.

Ebills - no more paper for DH to throw out. Schedule it on iCal with link to payment page (for one-off things) or automate payment (recurring bills)

Permission slips - fill them out & stick back in school bag the minute they come in, or scan and send by email. No chance for DH to throw out.

Presents - make amazon wish list for each person as ideas emerge. Purchase in Nov before holidays begin.

Dr appointments - schedule next appt while you are checking out of current appt, even if it's 6m - 1y ahead. If you need to reschedule closer to appt date, fine. At least you've got something there.

Go-bags/folders. For things that can't be done electronically. DC has a separate nylon bag, color coded, for each sport/activity (swim, tkd, gym, etc). We can just grab & go. They get reassembled upon return to the house so they are always ready. I do a similar thing with paperwork that can't be electronically managed. Clear folder for each subject/project labeled. No loose paper anywhere in this house keeps DH from throwing things out.

Love the sanity that being organized brings & these are also teachable tools for your kid(s).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work tomorrow, my kid was in bed by 8 and I have just gotten in bed. My car keys are on the counter right next to my wallet and phone which I always charge in the same place. I have packed my kids lunch and mine and they are both in the fridge ready to grab in the morning. My work clothes are literally laid out so I can get dressed in the almost dark while DW sleeps. DDs clothes are also laid out, with her shoes next to them so DW doesn't have to hunt for them when she leaves the house. This makes our mornings smooth and stress free. Anything that needs to go in the car in the morning goes next to the car keys the night before.
I get paid every two weeks so that's when I pay my bills. So I'm only paying bills twice a month and not constantly trying to remember what's due. Do you have a calendar? If not you need one for appts etc. I even write down the days DD has show and tell so I don't forget. There's no shame in writing stuff down.

This is pretty much us to a T. EVERYTHING is done the night before.

We live by our phone calendars. That way stuff can go in instantly (ie. the parent who asks at soccer practice if we can bring snack next week? I put the snacks on my shopping list and the reminder to bring them on the calendar while we stand there on the soccer field.) All school stuff goes on the calendar at the beginning of the year. Stuff that is a repeat is automatically repeated weekly/monthly/etc (ie. show and tell/etc.) I use the same calendar for work events so I ensure that work and home don't conflict and if I need to leave early to get the kid to a doc appt, I don't book a meeting too late in the day. I must look at my calendar 20x a day to make sure I am not missing anything. I set reminders on my phone to alert me (call and schedule that eye appt) and make sure to set the reminder when I can stop everything and do it right then and there.

Once you get into a rhythm, it is easy to maintain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here and dear heaven you guys are amazing. I've already implemented the lists. I started a meal plan list, a shopping list, and a weekly schedule. I use calendars - both the apple calendar which syncs to my phone and also a paper calendar. The two calendar system often makes me miss stuff, because sometimes I forget to write it in both.

And to the PP who described what your day/night looks like - wow, so impressive and so enlightening for me!!! thank you.

I haven't had a chance to read through all the responses in detail, but I will tomorrow. Because I'm also taking the advice of going to bed at a reasonable hour. Thank you all and will be back tomorrow!

OP, let me ask: were your parents not organized at all, and that's why you don't know what you need to do? I learned organization from my parents growing up and watching them.

This is not OP. My parents are SUPER organized. I am not. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anyone else hate living like they are in the army 24/7? Between living like this and all the terrible things going on in the world I may need to have a new brain and heart transplant swap out va Adderall. I finally saw Bad Mom's, I'm about to quit... whose meeting me at the bar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else hate living like they are in the army 24/7? Between living like this and all the terrible things going on in the world I may need to have a new brain and heart transplant swap out va Adderall. I finally saw Bad Mom's, I'm about to quit... whose meeting me at the bar?

YES. Although I find this thread really useful (we already do a lot of this), I can relate.

[Anonymous]

I run a tight calendar & daily schedule for one reason.... to have more time to be with my family & to do what I really feel like doing. It is a huge sense of accomplishment!!! Think of things that you & your family would enjoy this holiday season. Book them on your calendar & run an efficient calendar everyday. Once you see the rewards, you will never go back & will be a changed person!

[Anonymous]

You need to take care of yourself. Buy some frozen meals. Get your sleep on track. Get a full physical. Start media ration and or yoga.
It's like an airplane. Oxygen to yourself first. Then help the children or people behaving like children around you.

[Anonymous]

I'm messy--but I keep myself together with my calendar and lists.

I print out the free monthly calendars and keep it in my purse. I like to look at all appointments/events/field trips written there at once. I also have a wall calendar with the same info--when I add something new to the calendar in my purse (often am making appointments when I'm out in phone) I write it on wall calendar. I think the writing helps.

DH bugs me about putting it all electronic but this is what I like and what works.

I have a to do list:
Call for test results
Schedule well-check appt.
Buy X

That comes with me and is on my desk at work so I can cross off the days to-dos.

We have a key rack in front hall for car keys.

My cell phone is the one thing I leave in places but can always use my work line (work from home) to call and find it

[Anonymous]

First, don't be so hard on yourself. You sound like many of my friends and they are awesome moms. I'm generally a very organized person but find when I'm stressed or not sleeping well, I'm very forgetful.

Here's what I do (sure some of these have been mentioned but I have no time to read the entire thread):

Keep ONE calendar on my phone. Everything goes in my calendar. Two calendars meant things slipped through the cracks or I double-booked. Work, personal, kids, etc need to be in one place for me. I color code it. Cozi works best for me. I check my calendar for the week every Sunday night to get an overview and again each morning. For non-recurring appointments, I set my calendar to send me reminders on my phone. The app lets you share with family members or print out for the fridge.

I use the iPhone reminder app for important to-dos and things I need to bring along to appointments. For example, 30 minutes before I head to the dr, my phone will ding with a reminder to bring paperwork. When a prescription needs to be refilled, I will see my reminder pop up. If it's super important, I don't cancel the reminder until the item has been completed so I see it each time I look at my phone.

We have one spot for shoes and backpacks by the front door so we are ready to go. I place everything together by the door before bed. I put sticky notes on the front door when I'm worried about my child forgetting an item (library book, permission slip, instrument, presentation, etc)

I found meals tough no matter how much I planned. I decided to let myself off the hook. I use the crockpot once a week and we bring in pizza once a week. I have a few quick meal ideas in rotation (salads, pasta, steak, burgers). I double a few recipes for the freezer (taco meat, casseroles) when I'm cooking anyway, but don't do elaborate meal planning. And, although I'm sure I will be flamed, I have started to keep frozen dinners on hand for last minute meal emergencies.

I try to handle bills and school paperwork the day it arrives. That way it isn't forgotten.

And I make lots of lists. One for general to do and one for each store I regularly shop at. I love the Wunderlist app.

[Anonymous]

I am not super organized but when my DD started K found we desperately needed a calendar to stay organized.

EVERYTHING goes on it now. I use cozi.com. It works great for me and is free.

[Anonymous]

Super organized here. Ahh I feel like I've found my tribe!

Just wanted to add that we use Wunderlist app extensively. It syncs between dh's phone and mine. We have large shopping lists, Christmas lists of things we've purchased and a big to do list. When dh notices he's getting low on deodorant, he puts it on the shopping list.

My house runs like a well oiled machine, but I do feel stressed, overworked and would just like a vacation (my vacations are highly organized though and it's not always a break...). I feel like from the middle of November until January, it's GO time and I just need to suck it up and deal. So busy and with little downtime or sleep. I never get to watch TV anymore and never get more than 7 hours of sleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work tomorrow, my kid was in bed by 8 and I have just gotten in bed. My car keys are on the counter right next to my wallet and phone which I always charge in the same place. I have packed my kids lunch and mine and they are both in the fridge ready to grab in the morning. My work clothes are literally laid out so I can get dressed in the almost dark while DW sleeps. DDs clothes are also laid out, with her shoes next to them so DW doesn't have to hunt for them when she leaves the house. This makes our mornings smooth and stress free. Anything that needs to go in the car in the morning goes next to the car keys the night before.
I get paid every two weeks so that's when I pay my bills. So I'm only paying bills twice a month and not constantly trying to remember what's due. Do you have a calendar? If not you need one for appts etc. I even write down the days DD has show and tell so I don't forget. There's no shame in writing stuff down.

This is great. How long does prepping all of this take each night?

I am the same. A lot of this is a bit of multitasking. While I'm cleaning up dinner, I pop bread into the toaster for lunch so I'm not standing around waiting for it to ding. Wash all fruit at the beginning of the week so all I need to do is bag it (some fruit gets mush after you cut so can't do that in advance). Have both kids eat some of the same "sides" so you have economies of scale.

Kids clothes are all totally interchangable (tops / bottoms, doesn't matter what is worn with what). I have a 2 and 6 YO. 6YO gets dressed himself- picks out his own clothes. 2 YO, I just grab any pair of leggings/pants and top.

I leave keys in the same place every day so I don't hunt for them. I force myself to do this since I can't tell you how much time I've wasted looking for keys.

Agree with packing any stuff the night before- back up clothes, nap mat, library books for library day, take home folder, whatever.

Today, we were out of the house in 45 min - DH is traveling, so that's me, and 2 kids. Up at 7:45 (overslept), dressed, fed and out the door by 8:30.