Organising The Family

The last 6 weeks, since the beginning of this year, our family has just been “going with the flow”. Sometimes this works. Sometimes its good for people to take time out, and just go along with how life is flowing. It’s soothing. It calms and settles the soul. For a little while.

But sometimes going along with the flow means you end up in a dead end, swimming around and around in circles, not moving forward.

That’s when things need to change.

That is where our family is now.

My miscarriage made me realise we have been swimming around and around in circles since coming home from our honeymoon. Our lives have had no focus, no goals, no plans for the future, and as a family, we have stagnated.

Cue me searching on Pinterest. Yes, Pinterest is my own personal inspiration board! It helped me plan our wedding. It inspires many craft activities I do with Mini Miss. Now it’s helping me organise our lives!

Our house was a mess. So I figured that was a great place to start. I found some inspirational websites using Pinterest, particularly Design Finch. Browsing some of the weekly cleaning lists they had, I designed my own. It summed up all the everyday tasks we need to do, as well as all the weekly tasks. I also made a little space to write down some of the fortnightly/monthly/occasional tasks that need doing.

Following on from that, taking into account that we had just finished redecorating her room, I designed a chore chart for Maddi. Being a teenager, she was definitely not going to like any of the standard normal chore charts that you can find online. So, again using Design Finch site as an inspiration, I designed a weekly list for her.

Some things are regular, should do every day tasks. Seriously, if we need reminding to do, then Maddi does too! Then there are also weekly tasks and reminders to do simple things like look after her pets!! So far its working well!

Next I tackled food. We have been eating terribly the last few months. No focus means less care. So using the free printable from The organized home, I started planning our weekly menu, breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also has a shopping list section, where as you choose your meals, you write down the ingredients you will need to buy, if you don’t already have them in the house! Being organised like this means healthier eating for everyone, less money spent on the weekly shop as you know what you need, and less money spent during the week as you don’t resort to take away or buying last minute ingredients. 

Now I was inspired! I wanted to plan more!! So I decided each family member should have goals for this year. Something we want to achieve, something to work towards, a focus to keep in mind when doing and planning things. So, I found another awesome printable, from yet another blogger, Prepared not Scared. I made Shane, Maddi and myself fill out each section. I then stuck photos from our biggest event last year, our wedding, to it as a reminder of the things we can achieve if we try, and that at the centre of it all, our family should be our focus. I then laminated them and they have become our place mats at the dining table, so when we eat, we are reminded of our goals, reminded to revisit them every so often and make sure we are doing something to work towards them!

Now, our house has a few issues. It's messy. It's unorganised. But even more, it still looks like a rental property, a stale, unpersonalised house. Not a home. So I have decided its time to renovate. Given that we have a VERY restrictive budget, this is a challenge! But there is nothing you cannot find on Pinterest!! As long as you PLAN it and set it out, step by step, recycle it and make what you can, then it should not be overly costly! (I hope!) So I have designed a folder called “My Projects to Conquer”. Using yet another free printable (I REALLY love my free printables!) from Marta Writes I set up a list of things I would like to get done this year around the house. These are the BIG projects. Things like renovating rooms, redecorating and reorganising. These things require planning, saving and preparation.

So I used another awesome, yep that's right, free printable, from Clean Mama to plan, prepare and cost each task. Some of these I have started filling out, and in fact, the first room is started!!! So as I come across an idea I like, or inspiration for redecorating, I can add it to the appropriate sheet! Then plan it out, budget it, and make sure we have what we need before we start a task.

So now we are organised. I think. I hope. Already the house is cleaner and life is running smoother. We are able to find more quality time to spend with the girls, as a family. I’m finding myself less stressed and no longer lacking motivation. The whole family has come on board (well, the teen is dragging her feet, but then what teen doesn't). Even Mini Miss enjoys cleaning up (occasionally) and feeding the pets. We are focused on our goals, both personal and family. I cannot wait to share each room as it is renovated and finished with before and after shots!

Want to see my Pinterest boards and follow my plans....Click Here!

What are you personal and family goals for 2013? 

Is your home and family running the way you want?

Note: I have not been paid for or in any way rewarded for sharing the above websites, blogs, links. I just feel they helped me, and maybe they can help you too!