Now you're the owner of my.organiser - here's some helpful ideas on how to use it to get the most out of it!
The best thing you can do is throw out your existing diary or calendar! You will never get organised if you have more than 1 system in place. (if you can't part with it, put it in a cupboard for a month and see how you go - then throw it out).
It takes 21 days to make something new a habit!
write yourself a reminder!
Use the 'Attention Box' at the top of each day.
Change the way you deal with the paper trail that comes into your kitchen.
Write down dates and events into my.organiser as soon as you read them, whether from a newspaper, newsletter or flier. Once you've written in the date, go back 3-4 days and write yourself a reminder. If you need the flier, file it in a 'Due this Week' pocket, if not, recycle it.
That's all it takes!
► H I N T . . . Use your Due this Week pockets, they really will simplify your paper.
write yourself daily or weekly to-do-lists!
At the bottom of each page there is a 'your notes' section. Use this to jot down daily or weekly to-do-lists. You accomplish more if you write it down.
important dates/events for the year!
Birthdays
Using your birthdays listing, write everyone's birthdays in the diary, go back a few days and write a reminder to either buy a card and post, or buy present, or organise girls lunch!
► H I N T . . .If you buy a birthday card months in advance (because it's actually funny) simply put it in a cheap plastic sleeve and file it in the tabbed section BIRTHDAYS. Come the birthday, you'll know where it is.
Council Pick-ups & Clean-ups
Write in your free Council pick-ups for excess garbage and garden waste. These notices should have already been posted to you by now. Once you've written everything in recycle the flier.
► H I N T . . . Write in a reminder, the Friday before the pick-up so you can 'politely' remind your husband/partner that he should spend the weekend cleaning up.
School Holidays
Use the 'state school term dates page' and highlighter pen and mark in your school holidays for the year. If your children attend private schools, write in their term dates now.
School Life
The volume of paper from school is huge and with 2-3 children, it's neverending! Newsletters, class lists, excursion notes, class photos, special assemblies, carnivals...
Class lists: file in the tabbed section SCHOOL & SPORT
Excursion notes: file in the 'DUE THIS WEEK' pocket in the week of the excursion.
After School Activities ~ sport, dance, music..
Write in the important information from sports draws, registration days, canteen rosters, presentation days, team photo days, performance nights, concerts... then if you still need the flier, file in the tabbed section SCHOOL & SPORT. You can also add in your own plastic sleeve here, one for each activity.
What's for Dinner
Spend 10 minutes at the start of each week to work out the answers to this life-time question. Write it in your WHAT'S FOR DINNER box and then forget about it (except for shopping and cooking it, sorry).
Before you poo poo this because you don't have the time, just try it. It's amazing how much of our time revolves around cooking and shopping, so wouldn't you want to try to make it easier?
After 3 weeks, just go back and do the same meals again for another 3 weeks. Most family schedules remain the same for the whole term.
Start by breaking Monday to Friday up into categories: a stir-fry, a lamb dish, chicken, beef, fish or vegetarian meal. Work around when you need a quick meal to prepare or when everyone's going to be present for dinner etc. If you work on a Wednesday and have netball training that night, make that a stir-fry night.....
Monday: lamb stir-fry (vegies & rice)
Tuesday: spinach lasagne & salad
Wednesday: chilli con carne (mince & rice)
Thursday: fish & salad
Friday: chicken snitzels & vegies (leftover snitzels make good lunch on Saturday)
Then the following week, just modify the above a bit:
Monday: beef stir-fry (with noodles)
Tuesday: lamb curry (vegies & rice)
Wednesday: bolognaise (mince & pasta)
Thursday: tuna mornay
Friday: chicken rissoles and salad
Once you get started, it's easier than you think. Everyone's got at least 4-5 mince recipes, and chicken recipes and so on. You just substitute from week to week.
Writing a shopping list!
A simple idea to help with this is to buy a small notepad (just a cheap one with a cardboard back) and stick it inside the pantry door or use thumb tacks in the cardboard backing. A knob of blu-tac with keep a pen here too. When you notice something is empty, write it on - instant shopping list! Even husbands and kids can do this!
These are just a few ideas to help make your life easier. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us.
myorg@agoodsort.com