Contrary to what some people may say, being a mom is a full time job.
It’s 24 hours a day 7 days a week with no vacations.
That being said staying organized and being productive with your time as a mom
(and even more so as a new mom) is super important. Getting organized can cut out a lot of
unnecessary mom stress, lessens your workload and it gives you more “free” time in a day!
Step 1 - Have a Plan!
As moms, there is never a moment where something doesn’t need doing.
Whether it’s laundry, cooking, cleaning, or shopping, it’s easy to get drowned by your list of things to do.
To stay productive and organized you need to have a plan of attack!
One of the best ways you can do this is through a good planner.
Hear me out; I’m not talking about pages and pages of homework each night.
I’m talking about a small, simple, and well thought out notebook (planner) that contains your
to do list/plan for your upcoming day, week, month, and important information
that is handy to have close by and on hand.
There are so many big and comprehensive “planners and planner systems”
out there that are probably good but keeping it simple in my opinion is the way to go.
All you really need is a small notebook or ring binder with a simple planner system
or ready to go printable (like this one I created just for you mama)
A cup of something delicious and a few moments to jot stuff down.
Step 2 – What needs doing?
Take a few moments in your busy mom routine and jot down what on a daily basis
is important and needs being done. This will help you to clearly see what needs doing in a day and
then you can prioritize those things that must get done and what things could possibly
wait until tomorrow if unplanned things happen or you get bogged down.
Do the same thing now but on a weekly and monthly basis.
This is the beginning of a good plan (planner) and having a good plan is 60%
of the way to being a super organized mama!
Step 3 –Prepare ahead of time
Meal Planning –
As a newly married woman in my early 20’s, I really didn’t see why anyone
would need a meal plan. I would come home from my day job, pop on an apron and cook whatever I felt like having for dinner.
This works fine when all you have to think about is cooking and you’re not dead on your feet tired.
But, when life gets crazier as little ones arrive you no longer have all those creative meal ideas
on tap and all the time in the world to cook.
The solution. Plan ahead and meal plan!
Meal planning not only keeps you organized because you already know what you’re going
to be eating but it also helps simplify your trips to the grocery store.
It's easy, simple and only takes about 15mins a week. While your little treasures are napping,
grab a cuppa, pen and your notebook/planner and write down what meals you plan on having in the upcoming week and on which days.I like to plan out both dinners and lunches,(breakfast for us is the same each day so no need to plan it).
From there you can decide what ingredients you’ll need and add them to your on the go shopping list. Knowing in advance what meals your having also helps to prepare ahead (leftovers/ reheat meals)
for those days you know you’ll be extra busy.
Events Calendar and Gift Ideas –
Deciding on the perfect gift for a loved one or preparing for a special occasion is no easy task
let alone having to do it under pressure. Believe me Mama; you don’t need that extra stress.
The solution, plan ahead!
Have a designated spot in your planner with all the special and important dates in your life.
Things like anniversaries, birthdays, holidays ect. This will give you an (at a glance)
events calendar that will help you stay organized because you know what’s coming.
Another great idea is to have a page or two in your planner nearby your events calendar
to write down those brilliant gift ideas you think of during the year so
when your dad’s birthday (for example) comes around you don’t have to spend hours looking and
thinking of what to get him. You already have the perfect idea written down in your planner.
Have a cleaning / tidy up schedule –
I’m pretty sure every mom would love an always clean and tidy magazine-worthy home
but staying on top of cleaning and laundry is certainly a challenge with little people around.
A good cleaning/laundry schedule helps you to spread the workload out over the
course of a week or month. This breaks the BIG task down into small doable
tasks each day, while also helping you keep track of what’s been cleaned and when.
It’s amazing how much cleaning or tidying you can get done in a quick half hour cleaning spree,
(Especially if you have some quality and convenient cleaning supplies and tools).
I have a whole other post where I share the top
10 QUICK AND EASY HOME CLEANING HACKS & TOOLS FOR MOMS
if you need some quality cleaning tips and tools.
As I was saying, Regular cleaning and tidying up as you go not only gives you that always tidy magazine
home look but eliminates those BIG jobs you want to keep putting off.
Handy tip: if your little ones are old enough, let them help you.
Yes, they may not (actually help) but they will learn so much from trying and watching you.
This is a win in other ways too as it will not only help keep them occupied while you
get things done but create beautiful childhood memories for them.
Tidy as you go –
Along with your weekly/monthly cleaning plan, build into your daily life a habit of “Tidy as you go”.
When you are finished baking or eating, clean up afterward.When you take the dirty washing into the laundry, pop on a load.
When you are finished with an item, put it away. These little habits may seem insignificant but they are what makes for an
“always tidy and organized home ”we think only successful moms have.
Oh, and don’t miss the opportunity to teach your children these habits too.
Build these habits into them for their future adult lives and help yourself out at the same time.
Step 4 – Keep things Convenient
Your planner is the perfect location for things and information you need
on a regular basis as it keeps them nearby and handy.
Things like:
On the go shopping list –
Having an on the go shopping list fits in so well with meal planning at the same time
as streamlining your trips to the grocery store. It gives you a special spot in your planner to quickly jot down food or products that you need to buy as you think of them.This stops those annoying moments
I’m sure we have all had standing in the middle of the supermarket
trying to remember what it is we needed to buy.It also helps with not buying items that
are not on your list, a winner for the weekly budget.
Addresses, phone numbers and logins –
Having a place in the back of your planner for important information,
phone numbers and addresses for both places and people is not only a great time
saver but ensures they don’t get lost or forgotten. This is especially true when it comes to online login details or
passwords, which by the way, are also great to keep handy in your planner! Oh, and did I mention
it’s a great place to store your favorite websites/blog site so you can find them again!
Keep it simple –
Now that you’ve got all this handy and important content to put in your planner.
remember to keep it simple. As I said at the beginning, there are some serious planners out there for those people
who love to write out every detail of their lives, but for us, mama’s who just want to get organized
and be more productive we don’t need all that extra homework.
A simple A5 notebook or mama planner printable and cute binder cover is perfect.
Something small and easy to take with you as you go about your busy mama day!
If you want something super cute and all set to get you organized
I have put together the Mama planner printable where everything’s already done for you,
it contains all you need in your planner and all you need to do is print it off and fill it in with your plan!
I have also done a full flick through my Mama Planner so you can see exactly what is included in the planner!
Step 5 – Act on your plan
The fifth and most important step is to act on your plan! Having a plan/planner is all well and good, but as it’s been said
“ If nothing happens, nothing happens ”
In other words, don’t complicate your plan without of reach goals. Decide on what’s doable and possible and stick to your plan.
I promise it will be worth it and you’ll see wonderful results. You got this mama!
Being organized takes so many little stresses out of motherhood and there is just
something so satisfying and energizing when you can look back on a busy momming day and know you got stuff done and it was a productive day. Oh, and give yourself some slack. Like the rest of us moms, you’re not perfect
and there will be those “Out of control” moments where your best intentions and plans fall apart.
Don’t worry, tomorrow is a new day to try again.
So here’s the challenge:
Get yourself a A5 binder cover, Mama planner printable, and get yourself organized!
Till next time,
Neit <3
