A new way to organize - the Family Binder

Thanks to my friend Sarah, I had the "in" to the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group she's in. They have a waiting list for this particular chapter so I was excited that she could put in a good word for me! MOPS offers a community of mothering support, personal growth and spiritual hope. It helps all the moms involved be the best mom possible. (All their words and I'm a believer.)

We've had two meetings since the semester started. The first meeting, we had a speaker that preached "Love and Logic" (www.loveandlogic.com). I really like the subject and I completely see how it could work. I plan to follow up a little more.

The second meeting , the speaker, Linley Phillips from www.savethephillipsfamily.com was there to talk about the Family Binder. At first I was a little skeptical. Would this be for my family? How could I make it work for us? I'm a fan of the basket of paperwork, take-out menus, loose magazine tear outs, etc. You know what I'm talking about. I know you have an area like this too. Just because the pile is a disorganized mess doesn't mean I don't know what's in it.
After hearing Linley speak about how she uses the binder and how other friends use it, I started to think about what I would change. At the end of the session I was sold. I came home telling Adam that I was going to reduce this pile and that pile and that bin. It's still a work in progress but I think he's coming around. As soon as he sees the piles diminish I know he'll see the light.

Note: I got to use some of my scrapbook paper and my label maker. Craft supplies + organizing is a winning combo.

Schiffman Family Binder :)

My category tabs:
-Calendar - I'm gonna use the month at a glance
-To Do
-Family Info - includes emergency info, info sheet for babysitter, quick reference phone numbers and addresses, info about our house
-Eat - take-out menus, menu planner, pantry and freezer inventory (to use for shopping), lunchbox ideas, recipes and dinner suggestions from magazines or web
-Holidays/Gift Planning (my favorite) - birthday and anniversary list, gift ideas planner, gift closet inventory (I buy gifts throughout the year and forget who they're for and where I put them), and holiday budget
Violet - any school paperwork, records, etc
MOM - my section! I'll probably keep Groupons, personal to do lists, etc
Ideas/Inspiration - magazine and web pages of things I want to remember and try

Some hints:
-Put most things in a sheet protector so you don't have to make a million copies. Write on the sheet protector with a Vis-a-vis (overhead projector pen)
-Keep a zippered pencil case in the front of the binder with a pen, pencil, calculator, hole punch, post-its...


If you're interested in starting a Family Binder check out these links:
http://savethephillipsfamily.com/2008/08/08/household-notebook-preview/
See other links on Lynley's blog

Other organizing blogs with free printables:
http://www.mommytracked.com/downloads
http://printables.yourway.net/browse-all-printables/
http://organizedhome.com/household-notebook/
http://organizedchristmas.com (love love love this one!)


This is just the beginning. I'll update as I make changes or find that something might work better a little differently. Please let me know if you start a Family Binder and what you put in it. I would love to hear!

Parent's Day Out

Violet started Parent's Day Out 2 weeks ago. What a big girl!

This sparked the need for a few projects immediately. First would be the school bag. She wouldn't roll in to PDO with the same lame bag the other tots had. She had to have a cute little tote made by her momma.

This fabric was purchased at Hobby Lobby. Great colors! Same fabric her birthday dress was made from.

Then there was the issue of lunch. The kid hardly eats anything so whatever I sent with her had to be in an ultra cool box. In comes the Bento box. This WILL be my next hobby and collection. Cute little sandwich shapes and containers.

These little cuties were found at a little Japanese grocery in Plano called Minoya.

I plan to make her a great top for picture day too. She is the cutest kiddo in her class. No, really, she is! There are 5 kids total in her class - 2 girls and 3 boys. Violet hasn't cried, needed to be held and she has slept longest during naptime. Crazy that the 2 teachers get 5 toddlers under 2 to nap at the same time in the same room. I need to see a picture of that!