Folks, I am getting organized. And I
love it!
It all started about a month and a half ago when I read
this post that my blogging friend, Amy, wrote. It's like a light bulb turned on in my head! Her post has helped me a
ton! I have now been making a meal plan and it has made my life so much easier. I have been cooking a lot more and I love it! Steven has
loved all these home cooked meals!
I also read
this post that she wrote about grocery shopping. It also helped me a bunch. I now go grocery shopping once a week. I plan what I want to cook and then I look up coupons and sale ads. I have also quit doing all my grocery shopping at Wal-mart. Last month I needed a green bell pepper. I paid $1.59 for a GREEN BELL PEPPER at Wal-mart. Then I went to Save-a-lot the next day and they had them for .50 cents! That is a HUGE difference! It really opened my eyes to shopping at different places.
Amy said that she is going to make a spread sheet with a list of the prices of things they normally buy so they know which store has those items cheaper. I really want to do this but I haven't yet. (If you have any tips Amy, please e-mail me:))
Now, for some more (uninteresting) stuff!
Yesterday I made a family organizer.


Originally, I was just going to make a list of pantry staples; things I always need in my house. When I make a grocery list, I always look in my cabinets to see what I need. That didn't always work because if I was completely out of something, I wouldn't remember and therefore I wouldn't buy it. Now I have a list and all I have to do is look at the list and check to see what I have and what I don't have.

I also made a section for my weekly cleaning schedule.



And this is my to-do list of bigger projects that need to be done. I was able to mark 4 things off yesterday and today I have marked 3 things off! I am on a roll!
Eventually, this binder will (hopefully) have more things in it. Like if I make a spread sheet of prices like I mentioned above. Also, I want to write down all my cleaning and cooking tips in it so I won't forget them.
I have been praying for wisdom. I'll confess, I had never really prayed for wisdom until I read
this post (Yet again, by Amy:)) I didn't pray for wisdom because I really didn't think I needed it. Crazy huh? Well, I am just a stay-at-home mom. Why would I need wisdom? I didn't realize this, but being a stay-at-home mom (a good one anyway) requires a lot of wisdom! Who would have thunk it? I mean, I need wisdom when raising my child, grocery shopping, shopping in general, and being the wife God has called me to be.
I honestly believe that God is answering my prayer! No, I probably don't have much wisdom in a lot of people's eyes. Probably not in a lot of your eyes! But God has really been helping me to keep my home a happy, organized place. He has opened my eyes to a lot of helpful things I have missed before.
One thing that I have been doing now is waking up earlier. I am NOT a morning person. I really wish I was. I honestly could sleep until 11:00 every single day! But, I was waking up at 8, kissing Steven good-bye, fixing Trinity a bowl of cereal, praying, reading my Bible and then it's already 10:00!I have already wasted almost half my day!
I prayed that God would make me a morning person. I know this sounds crazy, but it was something I needed. He has answered my prayer in that too! For a couple of weeks now, I have been waking up at 6. I wanted to wake up at 6 so I could pray and read my Bible without Trinity climbing all over me and needing this or that. But, that hasn't worked. I have been waking up at 6, but Trinity has too! Oh well. Now I get up, pray, read the Bible, cook breakfast, and clean the house and I am done by 8:00! Wow! I feel like I have a ton more time now! And also, Steven and Trinity has a better breakfast than just cereal. Which is great!
Now that I am becoming "organized" my house is a lot cleaner. It's (almost) always "company ready". Yes there may be toys around but I can't do anything about that yet! And I don't mind toys.
This is my living room.

This is Trinity playing with her babies. She has 7 of them and an alligator that she carries everywhere with her. I was picking them up all the time, but now I just let her play with them until Steven calls and says he is on his way home from work. Then I tell Trinity that Daddy is on his way home so we have to clean the house so he doesn't come home to a messy house. And she picks up her toys, and loves helping me!
I can't tell you how much Amy's blog posts have helped me! I love reading about her family and she is one awesome Momma! Amy, please feel free to share some more homemaking tips! I need all the help I can get.