Being a stay-at-home mum and having a happy and healthy home is achieve through organisation. In my 18 years of being a stay-at-home mum I've been through many stages, including being super organised and not-so-organised. I've learned that by staying organised my family and I are much happier and a peace descends over the house, and that means we can spend more time together as a family. It can be a struggle to get organised when you don't know how so I've put together this article giving you 13 simple ways you can be a more organised mum.
Get up early - a simple way to become more organised
Believe me I know how difficult it is to drag yourself out of a warm and cosy bed, especially when it's frosty outside and you can see that to-do list for the day ahead. But if you leave that cosy bed you'll be able to get started on your to-do list earlier. To give you that extra boost you could even try working out first thing in the morning. You'll really be ready to start your day because it'll get your heart pumping and your adrenaline going. You can do this!
Get into a routine - simple!
Getting into a routine can really help with being organised. If you've planned your day ahead of time it's easier to know how much time, if any, you have for other things. Tick off chores as you go and you may race through your list faster than expected, making you feel good. Routine is also good for your kids. Make them a list or explain to them how you want their morning to go and mornings will become a much more pleasant experience (most of the time). Another win.
The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.
Get a planner to become a more organised mum
The planner could be on your phone or a physical planner that you write in. Writing everything down makes it easier to keep track of all the appointments in your diary and chores on your list. I use both, a physical planner and my phone, because I like to have a copy with me whenever I'm out of the house.
The physical act of writing something gets it out of my head and gives me more thinking space, but it also means I am more organised as a result. I love my passion planner, but there are plenty to choose from if you prefer other formats.
Write everything down to keep track
Make lists, write down your goals, list rules for the kids. Use your planner to keep it all organised in nice lists or in date order but write it all down. I write down appointments, including school trips, birthdays, and I include the Hubby's appointments too. By keeping it all in one place I can keep track of where everyone is going to be and any plans we have. It also helps to keep us organised when it comes to planning day trips for half term or other school holidays.
Checklists help you become more organised
Whether it's a cleaning checklist, chores list for the kids, or even a shopping list, having them on paper or digitally helps you be an organised mum. The cleaning checklist is brilliant because you don't need to think about which chores you need to do today, it's right there on the list and you can get on with it and tick it off when it's finished. The same goes for the kids and their chores. My two are terrible at remembering what they need to do, so giving them a chores list has really helped them.
I love checklists, they help me keep track of everything and make me feel like I'm actually making progress.
An organised mum has recipe lists
If your family is anything like ours you have your favourite meals and you cook them often. You get into a routine, having the same meals few meals on a rota and you get bored. You need something new to cook and you go in search of something. Then you cook that thing, again and again, until you get bored. Things come and go from the rota and you forget the recipes you used to cook.
Having a recipe list, or a meal list, is a way of keeping track of all the meals you and your family love. I have both, there are meals I love cooking and that the boys love to eat. I have meals that are quick and easy to cook, that are perfect for times when the boys are going out with friends and want something quick to eat.
My recipe list includes all the meals I've cooked and want to keep. Recipes from Tasty that I've copied - one thing I've noticed about Tasty recipes is they change, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. I have an old Chicken Lo Mein recipe that I've noticed they changed and while I'm sure they know best I know the old recipe worked well and my boys love it - so I'll stick with that one. I copy all recipes and keep them in a folder on my phone.
Organised Mums meal-plan
Every Sunday evening I sit down for 30 minutes and look at my meal list. I decide which meals we'll be eating during the coming week. Meal planning helps me stay organised, it makes it easier to get on with the cooking when I already know what I'm making that day. It also means I can tell the boys what we're eating or list it on a weekly menu so they don't need to ask me (though they regularly do).
Organise your food shop
After meal planning you can organise your food shop. You'll know what you need to buy for the week and you'll spend less time wandering around the supermarket choosing your food. When I organise my food shop and list it on paper or the iPad, I get my shopping done much faster.
Online food shopping - the Organised Mum's friend
Once you've planned your meal and organised your food shop, get on the computer and order your food online. You'll get it done much quicker, you can arrange delivery for when it's convenient, and you'll save money by you not picking up bits and bobs you don't really need.
All the planning, organising, and buying food can be done in the comfort of your own home.
Now that's a win right?
A simple step to being more organised? Meal-prep
Once you've had your shopping delivered you can prepare your meals for the week. Chop vegetables and put them in air-tight bags, arrange other food so it's together in the "meals" you've planned. If you can grab a pre-chopped bag of vegetables from the fridge rather than spending 10 minutes peeling and chopping veg, you'll save time on the cooking and you'll have less cleaning to do.
Do all of your peeling and chopping when you have your food delivered and then you can clean it all up and know you won't have to do any for the rest of the week!
Organised Mum's clean as they go
If you do the meal-prep you'll only need to clean up the mess once, and if you do it straight after the meal-prep it'll all be sorted. The other thing is to clean up as you make the mess. I tend to clean up while things are cooking. For example while I'm cooking chicken, waiting for it to brown in a pan, I'll wash a few pans or wipe down the kitchen sides. While the meal is in the oven I'll empty the dishwasher or fill it as needed.
The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.
After dinner I tend to leave the cleaning until the following morning so I can spend time with my family rather than cleaning.
Have uniforms sorted and ready
Wash and iron school uniforms before the week they're needed and arrange them in the wardrobe so the kids can find them easily. It'll make your life easier in the long run, you won't have to spend time finding clothes or helping them get ready because they'll already have everything they need.
Organise school mornings
As you plan your meals for the week you should plan your school mornings too. Make sure everything is ready, uniforms sorted for the week, packed lunches made the night before or arranged into pots that can be grabbed from the fridge when needed. If you already have packed lunches made you won't be rushing around in the morning trying to get them sorted.
When you have everything organised life is much easier and you can leave for school in a much better mood!
Being more organised can seem like an impossible task, but by taking small simple steps you can be an organised mum and your days will run more smoothly.