I keep three scrapbooks going at all times. One is a family scrapbook, and the other two are for my children. I also have a photo album for each of my children. In these albums I add pictures that don’t really have a theme, but just show how they are growing.
Since I teach school, I do all my scrapbooking in the summer. I know lots of people that meet up with once on month on a Friday or Saturday night and have scrapbooking marathons, but that doesn’t really work for me. I want an area that has all the materials within reach and not have to pack up everything and store it under the bed.
These are my projects for this summer:
Update Family Scrapbook
Update My Daughter’s Scrapbook
Update My Son’s Scrapbook
Organize Scrapbook Room!!!!
I have been looking online at dream scrapbook rooms.
This is my favorite: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/photos/scraproom/new/
Since I’m kind of thrifty (sounds nicer than cheap), I’m going to set a budget of $75. I know $75 will not buy me Amanda's scrapbook room, but I’m inspired by Amanda, and determined to have a great workplace! I’m also going to need to track down some Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and Joanne coupons! I’ve also been looking at scrapbooking discussion boards to get even more ideas.
Scrapbooking...Step 1
My July goal is to get my scrapbooking caught up. But I also need to get my scrapbooking supplies organized.
Step 1: Go through my photos on my computer and make sure my photos are organized and backed up. I've now decided that once a month, I will mark my calendar, and back-up my photo folders to my external hard drive.
I usually go through and delete the bad ones when I download them to my computer. It is easier to do this right when they are downloaded.
When you name your folders that contain your photos, the best way I have found is to name them by date, but also add a description.
For example: 01-12-2010 Ski Trip
This makes it much easier to go back and find photos from specific events. Also, 1-12-2010 is not the same as 01-12-2010. If you don't put the "0" in front, they will not sort correctly. I've learned the hard way! Naming them this way also helps when backing up photos. It is easy to see what dates have already been backed up, then only the new photos need to get backed up.
A free photo organizational program that I love is Picasa.
http://picasaweb.google.com/home
It is a great way to order pictures, email pictures and to post to online photo albums. It is easy and free!
Step 1: Go through my photos on my computer and make sure my photos are organized and backed up. I've now decided that once a month, I will mark my calendar, and back-up my photo folders to my external hard drive.
I usually go through and delete the bad ones when I download them to my computer. It is easier to do this right when they are downloaded.
When you name your folders that contain your photos, the best way I have found is to name them by date, but also add a description.
For example: 01-12-2010 Ski Trip
This makes it much easier to go back and find photos from specific events. Also, 1-12-2010 is not the same as 01-12-2010. If you don't put the "0" in front, they will not sort correctly. I've learned the hard way! Naming them this way also helps when backing up photos. It is easy to see what dates have already been backed up, then only the new photos need to get backed up.
A free photo organizational program that I love is Picasa.
http://picasaweb.google.com/home
It is a great way to order pictures, email pictures and to post to online photo albums. It is easy and free!
Another 15-20 Minute Project
I decided to clean-out/organize my coat closet. This would also help clean out my laundry room which has been a dumping ground for winter coats and accessories!
I have a shelf on top of my coat closet. I put two plastic baskets on this shelf. One shelf has my childrens gloves, hats, mittens and scarves. The other has my husband and my winter accessories. I also sorted through all the gloves and mittens and discarded any without a match.
I moved all the ski clothes and major winter clothes out of my laundry room to this closet. I put snow boots on the floor.
My only issue was my husbands collection of baseball caps. I'm not sure how many baseball caps he needs, so they are now in a basket on the top shelf!
I ended up with 2 sacks of stuff to take to Goodwill, and a very clean front closet. I'd say it was a productive 20 minutes, and my laundry room is thanking me!
I have a shelf on top of my coat closet. I put two plastic baskets on this shelf. One shelf has my childrens gloves, hats, mittens and scarves. The other has my husband and my winter accessories. I also sorted through all the gloves and mittens and discarded any without a match.
I moved all the ski clothes and major winter clothes out of my laundry room to this closet. I put snow boots on the floor.
My only issue was my husbands collection of baseball caps. I'm not sure how many baseball caps he needs, so they are now in a basket on the top shelf!
I ended up with 2 sacks of stuff to take to Goodwill, and a very clean front closet. I'd say it was a productive 20 minutes, and my laundry room is thanking me!
Organizing Money
I'm not an expert in this area, but I do all the bills at our house. In Money Magazine, I found out about mint.com
I love this website. It took me about an hour to download my bank info and my credit card info and set up my budget.
It emails you alerts. Yesterday it told me I was over my grocery budget for the month. Today it sent me a weekly summary of activity. It really shows you how much you are spending, which I kind of wish it didn't!
According to their website: With Mint, you can achieve better online financial management in less than five minutes. After that, revolutionary, patent–pending Mint money management software does the rest, with virtually no more work required. It automatically pulls together your bank, credit union and credit card data, and provides up–to–date and amazingly accurate views of your financial—life from the big picture to specific details, in a friendly and intuitive way.
I know lots of people worry about Internet security, and their website explains their security policies.
I love this website. It took me about an hour to download my bank info and my credit card info and set up my budget.
It emails you alerts. Yesterday it told me I was over my grocery budget for the month. Today it sent me a weekly summary of activity. It really shows you how much you are spending, which I kind of wish it didn't!
According to their website: With Mint, you can achieve better online financial management in less than five minutes. After that, revolutionary, patent–pending Mint money management software does the rest, with virtually no more work required. It automatically pulls together your bank, credit union and credit card data, and provides up–to–date and amazingly accurate views of your financial—life from the big picture to specific details, in a friendly and intuitive way.
I know lots of people worry about Internet security, and their website explains their security policies.
Getting Out of the House in the Morning
The easiest thing for me is having things ready the night before. This means clothes picked out, lunches made, backpacks and shoes by the back door. It saves so much time.
I'm also a big fan of timers. I have to be out the door by 7:30. At 7:20 the kitchen timer beeps and it is time to brush teeth and put shoes on.
I notice a HUGE difference in mornings when I don't have things ready compared to a morning where everything is ready to go. I never make it out the door on time, if I don't have things ready.
The other thing I do, is I tell my children that if they are not ready at 7:30 when I'm ready, their dad will be happy to take them to school. For some reason, this has worked!?!? I'm not really sure how it has worked! I'd LOVE it if he did drop-off in the morning, but so far, that hasn't happened!
I'm also a big fan of timers. I have to be out the door by 7:30. At 7:20 the kitchen timer beeps and it is time to brush teeth and put shoes on.
I notice a HUGE difference in mornings when I don't have things ready compared to a morning where everything is ready to go. I never make it out the door on time, if I don't have things ready.
The other thing I do, is I tell my children that if they are not ready at 7:30 when I'm ready, their dad will be happy to take them to school. For some reason, this has worked!?!? I'm not really sure how it has worked! I'd LOVE it if he did drop-off in the morning, but so far, that hasn't happened!
Keeping Up with Things!
There are some things that I do daily...
1. Make beds
2. Dishes/Keep Kitchen Clean
3. Sort through the mail
Things I do twice a week (usually Sunday and Thursday)
1. Vacuum
2. Clean bathrooms (wipe down w/Clorox wipes)
Once a week Chores
1. Clean Bathroom REALLY good
2. Empty Trash
3. Dust
4. Clean windows/mirrors/doors (I don't clean all the windows, but I have some really big windows in the kitchen and big windows and a 2 year old are a messy mix!)
Favorite Cleaners:
Windex
Clorox Wipes
Pledge Wipes
Tilex
Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1. Make beds
2. Dishes/Keep Kitchen Clean
3. Sort through the mail
Things I do twice a week (usually Sunday and Thursday)
1. Vacuum
2. Clean bathrooms (wipe down w/Clorox wipes)
Once a week Chores
1. Clean Bathroom REALLY good
2. Empty Trash
3. Dust
4. Clean windows/mirrors/doors (I don't clean all the windows, but I have some really big windows in the kitchen and big windows and a 2 year old are a messy mix!)
Favorite Cleaners:
Windex
Clorox Wipes
Pledge Wipes
Tilex
Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Calendar Organizing
I cannot for the life of me rely on my blackberry to keep my calendar. I cannot go totally electronic with my calendar. I just can't! Call me old school, but I have a fun, family picture calendar that hangs on the fridge. I put EVERYTHING on it! I also keep a small purse size calendar that I always keep with me.
Family Calendar:
I put everything on this. As soon as my daughter brings home a note from school for an event, it goes on the calendar. I keep a special school binder in one of my kitchen drawers, and all the notes go in them. Once the event has passed, I pitch the note. This system has worked great for us. Usually I get the school calendar a month in advance. She has jeans day, friend of the day, Skating Parties, etc. I also put all the dance classes, recitals, doctor appoints, and special meetings on this calendar. Every night I check the calendar to make sure I'm ready for the next day.
My pocket Calendar:
I put all my work stuff in this calendar that doesn't need to go on the family calendar). I also put doctor appointments and meetings on this calendar.
Blackberry:
Besides using the Blackberry for talking, I use it for contact info. I find that this comes in handy. It is the best address book in the world. I will also schedule reminders every once in a while, but my calendars really work for me! I'm not ready to go electronic with my calendar.
Family Calendar:
I put everything on this. As soon as my daughter brings home a note from school for an event, it goes on the calendar. I keep a special school binder in one of my kitchen drawers, and all the notes go in them. Once the event has passed, I pitch the note. This system has worked great for us. Usually I get the school calendar a month in advance. She has jeans day, friend of the day, Skating Parties, etc. I also put all the dance classes, recitals, doctor appoints, and special meetings on this calendar. Every night I check the calendar to make sure I'm ready for the next day.
My pocket Calendar:
I put all my work stuff in this calendar that doesn't need to go on the family calendar). I also put doctor appointments and meetings on this calendar.
Blackberry:
Besides using the Blackberry for talking, I use it for contact info. I find that this comes in handy. It is the best address book in the world. I will also schedule reminders every once in a while, but my calendars really work for me! I'm not ready to go electronic with my calendar.
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