Getting It All Done

Supermoms -we've all met other moms who seem to have it all together. Do you ever wonder how they do it? Well, the trick isn't a trick... they just do it. How is another question. It always seems that we can never get caught up, and things just get piled up, despite our best intentions. The key is to get organized and develop new good habits.

Changing habits won't happen overnight. It's a gradual process and takes time. So, first you need to organize your time, but once you are organized you will save a lot of time in the long run. Plan to tackle one thing at a time. Don't try to do it all at once, because you'll get overwhelmed and give up. Start with the easiest job, so you have a sense of accomplishment that will roll over to the next project. Once things are organized, set up daily maintenance for each area of the house.

Start with clutter. Get rid of things that have been piling up, like junk mail, paper and other things you just don't need. Then take a look at each room and see what belongs and what doesn't. If it doesn't belong in that room, put it in a box to be sorted and placed in the right place later. You can even have a box for each person in the family and put things in it from each room as you go through the house. Then they can put all their things away.

Many of us have clothes and toys that haven't seen the light of day in ages, so by going through them and either having a garage sale or giving them to charity, you can cut back on the amount of stuff that needs done. The less you have to put away, the more time you have to spend on fun things.

Organize your shopping trips. Making a shopping list is a start, and many people forget to make one. They either come out with a lot more things than they wanted, thus blowing the budget, or forget one important item and have to go back again later, wasting time. Many people have even started using a grocery store's website to pre-order their groceries and some even offer a delivery service.

Another great way to help save time is to cook meals ahead of time. There are many recipe books that are designed for freezer meals. You cook several meals at once, freezing them to be reheated later. This saves time and if you buy the ingredients in bulk, can save you a lot of money. Slow cookers are also a great way to help save time. You throw the ingredients in earlier in the day, let it cook all day and then dinner is ready with very little work.

Dividing up the housework is another way to help get everything done. Even young children can help do some things, with guidance. The earlier they learn to help, the easier it will be later. Make a chores chart and remind everyone that this will help make time for the family to do the fun things they want to do.

It may seem daunting at first, but just like anything worthwhile, it will take time to reorganize your house into a smooth running home that everyone can enjoy.