The Lazy Paper Manager

Are you trying to figure out how to keep urgent papers from piling up on your kitchen counter? Did you say bulletin board? Don't even think it! That may be Pottery Barn's solution to organization but it's not ours.

I want you to do something for me. Walk over to your refrigerator. Is this where you write phone messages? Post soccer schedules? Hang wedding invitations? Store coupons? Not anymore. Ok, now you're going to take a deep breath and clear everything off. You don't need this chaos staring down at you every morning as you eat breakfast. You don't need a daily reminder of all those recipes you haven't tried and weddings you didn't attend. If this is where you keep family photos then you need to visit the photo isle at Target. You can buy frames and books for just this sort of thing!

Take all these items from the front of your fridge and your counters and sort them into a three-ring binder that will be your new Lazy Paper Manager. I use a cheap binder with my kid's drawings decorating the cover. I have to replace the binder once a year because it falls apart with all the use it gets. I use photo album pages to keep small items such as coupons and stamps and page protectors for regular sized pieces of paper. Each section is labeled with a self adhesive index tab stuck right to the page protectors. If you are really cool then can make an adorable scrapbook quality Lazy Paper Manager cover and slip it in the front.

Phone - I print out a list of all my personal numbers and on the other side is all the business numbers that I frequently use. Every time I use the phone book I jot down the new number on my phone list and then I never have to look it up again. Every six months I add the new numbers on the computer and print out another copy. With all your numbers on one page you can keep a copy in the car, your wallet, and purse and in every room where you use the phone. Now that I have a cell phone I keep most of these numbers on my phone.

Action - This is where I put anything that I need to reference in the next few days or weeks. This is where I put wedding invitations, soccer schedules, driving directions etc. I note the time and date of the event on my calendar. If the paper has more information on it than I want to copy into my calendar then I hole punch it and insert it here. This saves me from having to copy all the information into my calendar. After the event I toss the paper. Papers shouldn’t stay more than a couple months in this section.

If you have older children that are busy with school and activities you might need a separate section or a whole different notebook for each child. This is where they will put papers that need your attention.

Club – This is where I keep aerobics, swimming and tennis schedules and club information.

Church – This is where I keep my Church group calling lists and assignment information; scouting, visiting teaching, volleyball, etc. Add or delete sections as you like. You need to find a paper system that works for you. There are so many books written on the subject that you are sure to find one you like. My Lazy Paper Manager has worked so well for me these last four six years that I couldn't live without it now. Others report that it works for them too so if you are looking for a change, give it a try!

The Organized Bed

Do what you can to make your bed more comfortable. Do you need new sheets, new pillows or a new bed altogether? Some people I know can afford to buy a memory foam bed. If you are like us you may have to go without such a wonderful extravagance. For a fraction of the cost of a new bed we bought a 2" thick, memory foam topper from Sam's Club that is a comfortable addition to our old bed. We're saving our pennies so that some day we can buy the real thing!

I keep our extra sheets tucked into their pillow cases and store them in the rooms they belong in. That way anyone can make a bed without searching for sheets that match and fit. I have extra sheets for all the beds but I rarely use them. I remove the dirty sheets, wash them and put them right back on the beds. This saves me the hassle of folding sheets every week.

I had a couple top sheets that were too short for the beds. They were always coming un-tucked so I sewed a 6" strip of muslin to the bottom of them. Now they stay tucked in nicely and the bed stays neater. To make things easier for my kids I tuck in the bottom of their sheets and quilts. All they have to do is pull them up and their beds are made. Investing in really good mattress pads helps the sheets stay put too. The mattress pad on our bed isn't that great so it, and the sheets are always sliding off the bed. I bought the kid's beds nicer covers so they wouldn't have the same problem.

You spend a lot of time in your bed so make it time cozily spent!

Wash Day

I had to change something that wasn't working for me anymore. I used to do one load of laundry every day. That was when everyone lived upstairs and it was easy to go from room to room collecting clothes. Now my son is downstairs and I prefer to do laundry once every 5-6 days instead. I have the kids bring their baskets to the laundry room, I wash and dry and fold all the clothes. I do the ironing and I have the kids take their baskets to their rooms and put their clothes away.

Laundry is one of my favorite chores. No, I wouldn't choose laundry over jumping on the trampoline with my kids but I would definitely choose it before cleaning the bathrooms. I always feel good when it's finished and everything is put away. Then I don't have to think about it again for another 6 days. I don't get off that easy with dishes and floors.

Three Cheers For Ice Makers

I made it to the gym this morning in an attempt to be nice to myself. I missed going all last week because the kids and I had colds. I really needed to get back there and now that I have, I feel good and tired. I'm going to enjoy this feeling and not even clean my kitchen. I'm so rebellious!

Not really. My real excuse for ignoring the dishes is that the dishwasher isn't rinsing well and I want Chris to look at it for me. Eventually I may have to resort to washing the sink full of dishes by hand but I'm hoping I won't become that desperate. I read an article about a woman that designed her kitchen without a dishwasher since she only used china and it all had to be washed by hand. I fantasized for a moment what it would be like to live like that. So beautiful, so romantic. So annoying! Sheesh. I'm all about progress and technology. Sure I want to raise my kids on a farm but I'm talking four wheel drives and central air, not buggies and corsets. If we can't get farm land with DSL we're going to have to re-think this whole thing!

The Vacant Doll House

I spent 30 minutes painting trim in the basement tonight. Did I say I was going to do a little bit every day? I meant to say a little bit every month! I don't know why it is such torture for me. There is still so much to do! We are listing our house with a realtor next week. I just want to walk away and start building our new home. I can't get excited about working on a house that we'll be moving out of soon.

I haven't gotten much else accomplished around the house in the last couple days. We've been busy doing kid stuff. I did go into Kate's room yesterday with two big black garbage bags. I threw everything into them that would fit. That's means she still has a bed to sleep in, a dresser, a doll house (no dolls), and a play kitchen (no dishes). I know she is still a little young to keep her things put away but my theory is, "If they can't take care of their stuff then they have too much stuff." I have taken away so much already! Now it is all gone and she will get maybe two things to play with for a week. If she puts those two things away when she is done playing with them and keeps her bed made then I will give her two more. She's spending the night at Grandma's tonight so I'm going to sort through the bags and decide what we'll ultimately keep and what I need to take to the thrift store. Here I go!

Budget Dream House

I taught an organizing class last night for a women's group. It was fun. Hopefully we all learned something from the experience. I know I did! Every time I teach a class I get a little more organized. It gets me thinking about organizing and motivates me to find new and better ways of doing things.

I did my minimum in the garage today. I picked up three things out of the last lingering pile and found a spot for them. Today was garbage day so I was also able to get rid of the pile of boxes and garbage we had in there.

Tonight I sat and organized my Home Design notebook into specific sections: exterior, interior, landscaping, kitchen, bathroom and floor plans. I threw out all the pages that were repetitive or not exactly what I wanted for our new home. An organizing project a day keeps the clutter away! I think when we're finished with this project I'm going to write a book. "Design Your Dream House With A Not So Big Budget"

How are the rest of you doing on organizing? Is there a pile of papers that's bugging you? Take the first one off the top and take action now! File it, mail a check, or make a call. Do whatever you need to do so you don't have to look at it anymore. If it was easy, get busy on the next one. If you just got a brain cramp, you have my permission to take a break and fold some clothes! See how fun laundry can be?

The Destroyer

Yes, more organizing in the garage today. I have 7 clear feet of wall space to show for it. Some of you may be wondering how I could spend so many hours organizing the garage. But some of you aren't, are you. You know exactly what I'm talking about when I tell you it was a mess. Now it's only half the mess it was.

Chris and I sat and talked about some things we would be willing to get rid of in a garage sale, things we will just throw away and things that we will repair so we can start using them instead of storing them. I can't wait to get started again tomorrow. This morning I was out before breakfast, in my pajamas and hard at work.

I've been looking for some kind of giant container for the outside toys. I need room for balls, rafts, sleds, kites, etc. Have you seen those small plastic stacking bins? Something a lot bigger and stronger would work great. Could someone design something for me please!

I was rewarded the other day after a long search in Walmart for banks for my kids. I wanted something that had dividers for different kinds of savings and spending money. We searched the toy department, office supplies, jewelry, housewares and finally found what we wanted in the fishing isle. I don't know why I didn't think of looking there first. Fishermen get all sorts of great organizers made for them. We use them around here for office supplies, makeup, hair accessories, and treasure boxes. Now we have two more that are penny banks.

Some of the clasps on these fishing organizers are difficult enough that small children can't get into them. They worked great for a couple years, keeping The Destroyer out of all the things she was eager to get her chubby little fingers into. Now she's too smart for us and we use her to open packages and containers that the rest of us can't get into. Do you have a stubborn child-resistant medicine cap or a bottle of pickles that won't budge? Just ask Kate, she'll have them open in an instant. Do you have a box wrapped in miles of packing tape or a candy bar that's wrapped in some kind of high tech security shield? Kate will have it ripped to shreds before you're back with the pocket knife. Sometimes living with a little wrecking ball can be useful.

"The Not So Big House"

If you are thinking about building a new home or remodeling an existing home, you need to read "The Not So Big House". Sarah Susanka has written a few more books on the subject but this first one will get you started. When we started talking about building a new home last year, (you know me!) I went straight to the library and checked out every book they had on home design and building. Susanka's were my favorites. She talks about how homes are getting bigger and bigger and looking cheaper and cheaper. People spend all their money on square footage and don't give any thought to the details that really make a house a home. I won't give a full book report here. Just read the book!

Here are some of the ideas I have come with for our own "Not So Big House".

Get rid of the formal dining room and while you're at it toss out the kitchen table as well. We do not eat at the table. We eat at the kitchen counter. The only thing we use the table for is our school work. Even that could be done at the kitchen counter but we use the table just because it's there. "What about guests and dinner parties", you ask? I don't believe in serving seven course, sit down meals. I like to mingle. When we invite people over we always do it buffet style. So my plan for our new house is to design a very large island that will serve as a dining table, craft table and school desk. If I had tried this in my past life we wouldn't have had anywhere to eat because the counter would have been piled with school books and craft projects.

I am going to have very few, if any, kitchen cupboards. I'll store our dishes on open shelving right next to the dishwasher and I'll have a large walk through pantry for all our food. My baking/mixing supplies will be kept on a rolling unit that I'll store in the pantry and roll out for cooking. We'll have access to the pantry from the kitchen and the garage so we can bring the groceries in and directly put them away.

Right now I have an entire room for my sewing and crafts. Our new house will have one closet, adjacent to the kitchen island, to hold my sewing machines and craft supplies.

Now we have an office. Our new house will have a computer closet at one end of the main living area. It's going to have a door with a window so we can shut ourselves inside for important telephone conversations and still be able to keep an eye on the kids. This will also allow us to watch them like a hawk when they're older and using the internet.

I will only allow two bathrooms in our new house. One in the bedroom area and one in the living area. Besides the expense of putting in extra bathrooms, I'm not willing to clean them. Two is my limit.

Our laundry machines will be in the master bedroom's closet. Why should I haul laundry across the house when 70% of it is generated in our closet? I'm not worried about the noise since my husband seems to be able to sleep through anything. We slept downstairs directly under the laundry room for a time and I used to put in a load of laundry right before bed every night. The sound always lulled me to sleep.

Susanka says, why have a beautiful foyer for guests when the family has to enter into an unsightly service entrance. In our new home, visitors and family will enter into the same inviting foyer. Guests will enter from the front porch and we'll enter from the garage. There will be a place to sit down and plenty of built-in cupboards and drawers for coats, shoes and bags.

We are going to have very tiny bedrooms with walk-in closets. We only need room for our beds and night stands. The kids will have a playroom in a loft for all their toys.

Most of our square footage is going to be in the main living area where we need it. We're going to have an open floor plan that includes the kitchen and family room. My kids always end up in whatever room I'm in, so why not make it easier for all of us and have all our activities in the same room? I'll be able to help them with their school work whether I'm cooking, sewing or working on the computer. The kids can do their paper crafts and puzzles while we're watching a movie.

I have many more ideas for my "Not So Big House". Some of them will work out and some of them may not. I've been designing a floor plan on the computer that I'll post when I get it nearer to completion. Please give me any ideas you might have for your own "Not So Big House". I would love to hear them!

Weather The Storm

I did some more work in the garage today. It's starting to look presentable. The only problem is that every inch of the perimeter is covered with shelves or the freezer or a lawn mower, etc. I want to see some empty space. I crave it. I have to have it! It must be time to have a garage sale!

I can't be completely happy in my kitchen until the counters are perfectly cleared off. Not one piece of paper, not one loaf of bread, nothing. Leaving one little thing on the counter is just asking for trouble. We all know how clutter multiplies when we aren't looking. If there is a glass left in the sink, there will soon be a bowl and a spoon keeping it company. Minutes later you'll find a stack of dirty plates, forks, and a frying pan added to the mess.

I've been in homes where there are cute little canisters and paper towel holders and toasters left out. I can't have this in my home. It looks and feels too cluttered to me. I have a difficult enough time keeping my head cleared without all that excess confusion around me. It's fun to go out and look at walls covered with old photos and books and treasures. I expect a restaurant to be loud, busy and full of information. But then I want to go home to my peaceful retreat and feel centered, relaxed and comforted.

That's my goal in everything I do in my home. In my decorating, organizing and cleaning, I'm creating a refuge for myself and my family. Home is the place we come for protection from the inevitable storms of life. Is your home a refuge, a haven? If it isn't, then do one little thing today that will make help it become one. All those little efforts add up to the kind of home you really want for yourself. The kind of home you need and deserve.

Afternoon Adventure

We had an adventure yesterday on one of our property hunts. I found myself driving through a tiny community in the mountains when I hit the brakes for a piece of property over-looking the valley. I pulled off onto a dirt road. A neighboring gentleman , Jay, approached me and began giving me all sorts of information on the land and the area. He was so welcoming and such a pleasure to talk. A developer had recently tried to buy the property but the local residents made it impossible for him to sub-divide it. Jay said they would love to have us there. I told him, "After paying for the property, we wouldn't be able to afford the build a house on it. We'd have to pitch a tent in the field." His reply was, "I have a tent you could use!"

Jay was getting ready to take his Grandkids for a ride on a four-wheeler to see some turkeys. He piled my two kids on back and off they rode, up the hill, shouting and waving all the way. I walked out through the alfalfa to the edge of the field. Below, I saw another farm with a herd of black cows and their young stumbling close behind them. A couple tiny black dots looked to be newly born calves without the strength yet to stand. They had probably just dropped a few hours before. The view of the farms and the hills and the river were breathtaking.

I headed back and met up with the search party. Jay invited us in to his home to see his collection of hunting trophies (not a pretty sight!). He showed us how he polishes rocks in a tumbler and he gave each of the kids their own shiny pebble to take home. The kids, with their souvenirs clutched tightly in their little fists, and I, reluctantly made our way back out to the van and headed home. There wasn't any need for looking further. We had found a country paradise. Anything else would only disappoint.

The Weary Traveler

I'm checking in to gloat. My laundry room and van are still remarkably clean. I'm on a seven day winning streak! Finding a system that works for me is my ultimate goal. Sometimes I try over and over again, dozens of times. Until at last, it clicks. It's not hard anymore. It's not the daily struggle to hold on, with weary, bleeding fingers. All of the sudden I have reached a safe landing. I can relax and enjoy the journey I'm on. I can see the progress I've made. I'll rest for a time until I get my strength back and I'm ready for the next challenge. There is so much further to go but from where I'm standing I can look back at the miles I've already come. I realize I'm closer to the end than I am to the beginning and I know I can make it the rest of the way!