Organizing Archives | While He Was Napping

January 3, 2018 by Krista

Calendar Journal

This post was originally posted in 2014. It was last updated Jan 2018 to maintain accuracy and pertinence. Full 2018 calendar journal templates are available in my Etsy shop.

Do you keep a journal? I am the worst journal-keeper ever.

I used to be pretty good at it when I was younger – okay, I used to do it when I was younger. Being good at it might be a little too generous. But, then… Life. Marriage. Motherhood.

I was so busy living (sometimes surviving) day-to-day that I was sure I wouldn’t forget the important stuff and the daily stuff was monotonous. Did I really need another journal entry about dishes and laundry and baby snot on my clothes?

WHY WE NEED TO JOURNAL THE LITTLE THINGS

But, I realized that I WAS forgetting the important stuff. Wait, what day was it when my beautiful little niece was born again?! And how much did the doctor say my youngest weighed at his well-baby check up last week? If only I’d written it down!

And, you know what, the dishes, laundry and baby snot DOES matter. It might seem like small, inconsequential chores and a boring daily grind – but it’s my life! It’s not always glamorous and fancy, but it’s mine.

When I’m feeling unaccomplished and like I spent my day just spinning my wheels, some times I need to account for the little things like laundry and dishes. Because keeping my family fed and clothed IS important. Having a physical list of my accomplishments helps me have the motivation to do it all again the next day.

EVEN YOU HAVE TIME TO JOURNAL WITH A CALENDAR JOURNAL

Part of my struggle was time. I felt like I didn’t have time to sit down and write for 20 minutes! And filling only three lines in my journal was kind of depressing.

However, I seemed to have stumbled on something that works! A Calendar Journal. I first saw a similar idea on a Flickr feed. The one I originally saw, I can’t seem to locate, but the link is quite similar. I totally fell in love with the idea. THIS I can do! AND I DID!

Eleven months down and I only missed a week plus a couple days. It looks so neat and only takes a couple minutes a day (usually right before I go to bed). The good news: I think I’m hooked!

WHY THE CALENDAR JOURNAL WORKS SO WELL

The limited space is just what I need. It’s small enough that I don’t feel like I need to spend large chunks of time on writing. I just jot down a few quick notes and I’m done. Some times, I write in it while I brush my teeth at night. Super quick, super easy.

It’s also a creative outlet for me and that’s just what I need to wind down and relax at the end of my day.

And, if I do miss a couple days, I can go back pretty easily and fill it in. (Confession: I may or may not have spent some time filling in about a month and a half in November and December… whoops. But I was able to get it all filled in before I forgot everything and my calendar still looks awesome.)

February 2013 Calendar

A couple of close-ups of my Calendar Journal. Nothing super detailed or incredibly personal… unless you want it to be. Sometimes, my entries were just a check list of things I’d done that day – dishes, laundry, wiping up baby snot – and sometimes they were more personal – like we’re having another baby!

As you can see, I am no artist and the little sketches are just simple little drawings.

Click the image to view a larger version of my Calendar Journal.

WANT TO CREATE YOUR OWN CALENDAR JOURNAL?

I have the 2018 calendars available for purchase in my Etsy shop. It is a one-time, single instant download with all 12 months. The PDF file has all 24 calendar pages and is ready for printing right at home. Another nice thing about the PDF packet is that you will be able to print the pages back-to-back all at one time. Each month also has extra space to write down additional notes. I used it for things my kids said, anything exciting that didn’t fit in the box for that day and little extras (like when my husband surprised me with a new cell phone upgrade).

I never got around to binding my pages, they are all still just loose papers, as you can see in the photos above. Some binding ideas are: You could put them in a three-ring binder, bind them with tape and glue or sew them together.

UPDATE 2018: I now do my calendar journal in my planner. I used the Mom on the Go Planner from leafytreetops.com last year. I love the weekly spread where each day is split into three columns. I use the bottom box to do my calendar journal and the top boxes are my appointments and to-dos. Any blank calendar or planner would work though. I also really like the Erin Condren Life Planner – it has the three column layout as well.

Enjoy and happy journaling!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

May 3, 2017 by Krista

The Kitchen Declutter Challenge You Can Do In A Weekend

Welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by today! If your kitchen is feeling a little overcrowded and cluttered then you have come to the right place. If you want a little more order and less chaos in your cocina, this is for you. In two days, you can reclaim your space with this weekend kitchen declutter challenge. This checklist will guide you through, step-by-step to a clutter-free kitchen.

A CLUTTER FREE KITCHEN IN TWO DAYS WITH THIS KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

Two days is all it will take to get your kitchen under control, contain the chaos and kick out the clutter. Imagine finding that bowl or pitcher or cheese grater the first place you look. What would it be like actually knowing what spices you have in your cupboards. Imagine a calm, enjoyable cooking experience in a kitchen you love. You can have all that and more! Your kitchen can be a place you love, even if it’s not your dream kitchen. Only store the things you use and love. Make your kitchen a haven where your family will love to spend their time.

A CLUTTERED KITCHEN IS A SMALL KITCHEN

Do you have a small kitchen? Clutter can make the largest of kitchens feel cramped and claustrophobic. My current kitchen is not small. It’s spacious and open and the reason we made an offer on this house. But the apartment we lived in before we bought our house had a teeny tiny kitchen. We barely had room to open the refrigerator door all the way. And, honestly, some days I miss our little kitchen and the limits it gave us.

If you have

a small kitchen with limited space
a large kitchen with plenty of space
a kitchen with awkward spaces
a cluttered kitchen with too many appliances
a kitchen that is cluttered and complicated to use

this checklist will help you put your priorities into place, organize what you love, give up the stuff you don’t and figure out how to best use the kitchen you’ve got to make it a place you enjoy being.

TRASH, DONATE, KEEP

The hardest part of decluttering any space is to ruthlessly purge your things. It can be hard to let go of those measuring cups or that casserole dish you got for your wedding… But, if they don’t work anymore, they aren’t doing you any good. Figure out a way to use them for something else or get rid of them. Start with 3 boxes: Trash, Donate, Keep.

Materials/Ingredients:

3 boxes – 1 for trash, 1 for donations, and 1 for things you’re going to keep but that don’t belong in the kitchen.
A weekend to conquer the list
Weekend Declutter Challenge Checklist (gain instant access when you unlock the premium content below)

Instructions/Directions

CHOOSE A STRATEGY TO CONQUER THE KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

Decide if how you want to tackle your kitchen. Do you work best:

starting in one corner and working your way around the room?
concentrating on one task at a time?
working on small areas at a time?

What works best for you?

PRINT YOUR KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE CHECKLIST

Grab your checklist when you click the image below. Download and save or print it right away. No email address and no waiting for it to show up. Just open and print it. And start your decluttering challenge now!

CHOOSE A WEEKEND AND GET TO WORK!

This challenge is designed to focus on a prominent area so you will be able to enjoy the results of your work. It’s designed to take place over two days so it doesn’t feel like you are cleaning and never making any progress. This challenge is quick and dirty.

For best results, divide this list into to parts. One for the first day and the other for the second day. While you don’t have to stick to it exactly, if you can accomplish approximately half the list one day and half the next, you won’t burn out and you’ll be sure to do a fairly thorough job so it will last longer than just a few days. Because, isn’t that the worst part of cleaning?! I hate spending hours working and you can’t even tell a day or two later. Get your results to last without having to kill yourself to get it all done at once.

ARE YOU READY TO CONQUER THE KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE?

You’ve got your list. Grab some boxes and get the clutter out of your home. Think how much easier it will be to cook in a kitchen that has the things you need, you know where they are and you aren’t avoiding the things you never use. Use this checklist to get your clutter free kitchen in just two days.

Want more inspiration to declutter your home? Check out these great books:

April 13, 2017 by Krista

3 Reasons You Need a Medication Tracker + Free Printable

Hi! Welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Have you had sickness in your home lately? We are going on 4 weeks here. FOUR! Everyone has been on antibiotics at least once and now we’re passing around the strangest virus I’ve ever had. Sick kids can be so hard when you’re trying to run a household. Especially if you’re sick too! But tracking your family’s medication shouldn’t be a hassle – that’s where this medication tracker will come to the rescue!

DISCLAMER: I’m not a medical professional and this is not medical advice! I’m just a mom who has had sick kids, been sick myself, had a sick husband, and missed medication doses or couldn’t remember what time it was when I gave him medicine last time. This is something that helps me keep track and stay on top of medicating my family safely and confidently and I wanted to share it with you, hoping it will help you do the same for your family.

NEVER MISS A DOSE AGAIN WITH THIS MEDICATION TRACKER

Have you ever wondered… “Did I give him his last dose?” or maybe “when did I give her medicine last?” When there’s illness in a family it affects everyone and trying to remember when the last dose of medication was given should be the least of your worries; but often, it’s not.

I know how all those doses run together when a fever lasts days or a round of antibiotics stretches on and on. Save yourself some worry, uncertainty and maybe even sleep! Make it super easy to medicate your sick family with confidence with just a glance.

And these are a MUST-HAVE in families where more than one person might give the medication. Never worry about double dosing again!

IS MEDICATING YOUR FAMILY SAFE AND EASY?

Do you ever administer medication to anyone else or take it yourself, ever? If so, this is for you! Are you tired of trying to remember when that last dose was given? How much? And what medicine was that again? Are you:

a tired mom or dad, giving medication every 4-8 hours, around the clock? Day and night?
a daycare provider that cares for, and occasionally medicates, children you don’t live with?
one of many adults that may give medication to one child or other adult?
ever sick yourself, but still have to keep up with your life and sometimes find yourself missing medication doses?

If you said yes to any one of those, this medication tracker can help make your next bout of sickness a little easier to manage. What are you waiting for?

3 REASONS YOU NEED A MEDICATION TRACKER

Sickness affects everyone in the house. It affects sleep cycles, you have to keep to the medication schedule. Are multiple people giving the medication? Maybe you’re not thinking clearly from being sick and medicated? Here’s what a medication tracker can do for you:

You won’t have to wonder, “What time was that last dose? Has it been 6 hours yet?” You’ll know exactly when that next dose is due. This is nice to grab and take to the doctor, if you get that far.
If multiple people are giving medicine, this is the perfect way to make sure there are no double dosing accidents. Keep your kids safe!
If you’re the one who is needing medication, it can be hard to run a household while you’re sick. Not feeling well and having to keep up life is a lot to think about. Ease your stress by tracking your medication so you can focus on what really matters.

PRINT YOUR MEDICATION TRACKER AND MAKE YOUR NEXT ILLNESS EASIER TO MANAGE

This is super simple. You won’t need anything fancy. This medication tracker is a single page, but print as many of them as you need. One for each sick child or for as many doses as you need to track. The bright colors will hopefully help remind you to mark your progress and maybe bring some feel-good power to your day… after your next medication dose kicks in, of course. Now, print your medication tracker and medicate confidently!

Of course, you can simply download and print the file. It’s usable as it is. But, I like to make my organizer pages re-usable. It’s super easy, but totally optional. The only thing you really NEED is the download file and a printer to print it on.

Materials/Ingredients:

Medication Tracker –> Get the printable PDF!
Printer
Laminator (I love my Scotch thermal laminator and use it all the time. The cold laminating sheets also work, as does a simple plastic page protector, although the ink of your pen might bubble a little on a page protector sheet.)
Laminating Pouches for each medication tracker you plan to make
Wet erase pens (you can use dry erase pens, but the fine tip wet erase ones usually work better)
Magnet tape
Scissors

Instructions/Directions

PRINT YOUR MEDICATION TRACKER

Step #1: Download the medication tracker and save it to your computer.

Step #2: Print the medication tracker. If you are going to make it re-usable, I suggest using a heavier paper such as card stock. If you’re only going to use it once, regular printer paper is fine.

MAKE YOUR MEDICATION TRACKER RE-USABLE WITH A THERMAL LAMINATOR

Step #3: Turn on your laminator and let it warm up. While the laminator is heating up, slide your printed medication tracker inside a thermal laminating sheet.

Step #4: When the laminator is ready, run the laminating pouch through the laminator. Pull out the pouch and lay it flat on a cool surface until it cools to the touch.

Step #5: Cut a strip of magnet tape and adhere it to the back of the medication tracker. I prefer to put a strip on the top and one on the bottom as well.

Step #6: Use a wet erase pen to write on the medication tracker.

MAKING YOUR MEDICATION TRACKER RE-USABLE WITH A COLD LAMINATING POUCH

DISCLAIMER: I don’t have a lot of experience with the cold laminating pouches. I’ve only ever used the small sizes and my results have been mostly good. I prefer the hot laminating method though.

Step #1: Prep the laminating pouch as directed on the package. Follow all instructions.

Step #2: Cut a piece of magnet tape and adhere it to the back of the medication tracker. I usually do a long piece at the top and a long piece at the bottom.

Step #3: Use the wet erase marker to write on the medication tracker.

MAKING YOUR MEDICATION TRACKER RE-USABLE WITH A SHEET PROTECTOR

Step #1: Slide the page into the plastic page protector.

Step #2: Use a magnet to hang medication tracker on the fridge. Or you can use some magnet tape on the back of the page protector.

Step #3: Use wet erase markers to write on the medication tracker.

MEDICATE YOUR FAMILY WITH CONFIDENCE AND SAFETY

Congratulations! You’re ready to take on the next illness that comes your way. You’ll be able to give your family the medication they need, when they need it. You won’t have to wonder if it’s really been 6 hours since the last dose or if you actually gave that medicine this morning. At a glance, you’ll be confident that you’re doing all you can to manage those pesky germs.

Do you have any tricks for dealing with sick kids? Leave your tips in the comments below.

And if you love this medication tracker, check out the entire 47-page set of organizer pages in The Organized Family Starter Kit, available on Etsy.

April 6, 2017 by Krista

How to Get Control of the Mess with this Cleaning Checklist

Has clutter taken over your home during the winter months? The holidays and then two of my boys’ birthdays always tend to leave my home feeling a little… messy. When the sun finally starts shining, I want to get our things back under control. This cleaning checklist makes it easy to stay on track and get the extra clutter out.

WHAT’S IN THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST

This list is 2 pages of tasks, divided by room, that will help you clean and de-clutter your home. The winter months often bring an influx of things into our homes – I blame it on the holidays – and this is a great place to start weeding some of the things out. It’s much easier to keep your home together if there aren’t so many pieces. You don’t need all the things! Get rid of some! I promise you won’t miss them.

WHO IS THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR

This list is for the busy household that doesn’t have days and weeks to spend cleaning up their home. It’s for the stay-at home mom who spends days making snacks and chasing toddlers. This list is for the working mom who has limited time in her home and with her family. It’s for the family that would rather play together than spend weekends cleaning. It’s for the household that is full of things they don’t use and love.

If you’re not sure where to start, if you’ve started before and gotten overwhelmed, if your time is limited or if you’re tired of all the things taking over your home, then this list will help!

Disclaimer: This list doesn’t include tasks such as washing walls in every room, baseboards, or window tracks. It doesn’t include dusting ceiling fans, dusting in general, or cleaning carpets. Those things should still be done, eventually. The main focus of this list is getting unnecessary things out of your home. Once there are fewer things, these deeper cleaning jobs will be easier to complete. So, get the things out and then go back and do the window tracks and baseboards.

WHY DO YOU NEED THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST?

Life is busy. Who has time to spend days and weeks deep cleaning? I sure don’t. This checklist keeps you on track when your cleaning list is long and detailed and time is limited. Deep cleaning your home is a big job and all the tasks can be overwhelming. This list will:

keep you organized with tasks divided room by room
keep you from missing commonly overlooked tasks and areas
help you clean your home systematically, thoroughly and comprehensively
help you use your time efficiently with a checklist of tasks that need completing

Simplify the huge project of deep cleaning your home by using this checklist. You’ll be able to work room-by-room, clearing clutter from your home in an efficient manner. Remember, you want to cut down on the things in your home while cleaning a little too.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN CHECKLIST!!

HOW TO USE THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST

This may seem obvious. Just check everything off the list, right? Check off all the boxes and you’re done. Sure, you can do that. But, I want to let you in on a little secret. That’s not the only way to rock your clean and purge project!

These pages are divided into rooms, but they are designed so the tasks can be done depending on the time you have available. Most of the tasks can be done in 45 minutes or less. Some can be done in as little as 10 or 15 minutes. Save the tasks that take longer for when you have the time to conquer them. And get the whole family to help and knock that list out even more quickly!

If you can work room-by-room, I do suggest doing that. Two reasons:

When you see everything all at once, it’s overwhelming. Cut it down and focus on one space at a time. It’s much easier to clean one room than an entire house. If you can’t do a whole room at one time, cut that down too and focus on just the closet or just the dishes or just under the sink.
If you focus on one space, get it cleaned and de-cluttered, then move on, you will be encouraged by the visible progress. The clean room will motivate you to keep it that way and to keep going on the rest of the tasks.

CAN A CLEANING LIST GIVE YOU FREEDOM?

YES. It can and it will, if you take the de-clutter part seriously. Cleaning is good, simplifying and de-cluttering is better! Take the list one room, one area, one task at a time. Before you know it, you’ll find your groove. Throwing things out won’t be so difficult. It’s okay if it takes a little time to get through it all. And it’s okay if your home still looks “lived in” – you do, indeed, live in it. But, I promise you will love the freedom that having fewer things will give you.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN CHECKLIST!!

NOT QUITE READY TO COMMIT TO THE WHOLE CLEANING CHECKLIST?

Does de-cluttering your entire house overwhelm you? Start small and make a big impact with these 6 steps to fewer toys and a happier home.

Not ready to get rid of the toys completely? Find out how to set up a toy rotation system. Your home will be less cluttered and your kids will think Christmas comes every time you rotate the toys out.

October 5, 2016 by Krista

Printable Halloween Planner

“How did this happen?” I thought as I stared back and forth between the two invitations. Yep, just as I had feared. I had committed to two different Halloween parties, in two different locations, on the same night, at the same time. Clearly, the holiday excitement had gotten the best of me and my organizational skills had taken a steep nose dive. If only I’d had this Halloween Planner.

LET THE HALLOWEEN PLANNER HELP YOU AVOID MY MISTAKE

Don’t let the holidays get the best of you. Put in a little bit of planning and a little bit of time and you’ll have the best Halloween ever. You won’t double book yourself, you won’t miss any costume details, you won’t forget to do any of your fun Halloween traditions. This Halloween Planner will help keep your October organized.

I looked back and forth between the invitations, trying to decide how to fix my faux pas. We’d committed to bring something to both parties and I didn’t want to leave any one unprepared. Could we go to both parties? The idea of putting my family through all that running around did not appeal to me. If only I’d been more organized and planned it out better…

HOW WILL THE HALLOWEEN PLANNER KEEP YOU ORGANIZED?

Use the Event Tracker and calendar to keep all your commitments and events within a glance. No double bookings!
Plan all the costume details for the whole family so everyone looks their very best.
Make a bucket list together so you don’t forget any traditions or so you can make some new ones.
Plan the perfect Halloween party! With 5 pages of party planning organizers, it’ll be so easy to keep track of all the details.

I called up my brother and had to tell him that we’d try to make their party, but that I’d double booked us. I arranged to drop off our food contribution that afternoon and apologized again. We spent most of the evening at the other party, but we did make a stop by my brother’s before we called it a night. And now I double, triple and quadruple check that we aren’t double booked during the holidays! And I use a planner to keep track of all those details.

GET YOUR OWN HALLOWEEN PLANNER AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HOLIDAY.

This 11-page planner is yours. I want you to have it so you don’t experience the same scheduling mishap I did. I’ll even send it right to your inbox.

Print your planner at home, on regular 8.5″x11″ printer paper. Print copies of the pages you really want. And enjoy October while it’s here. Before you know it, we’ll be eating turkey and stuffing around the family table.

Happy Halloween!

Don’t forget to add your favorite Halloween activities to your plans. Get more ideas with this Halloween Bucket List! Or check out this one to find some fun activities the kids will love to do!