Monday, October 1, 2007

My sticky note system!


What I really love about my week-on-a-door is that when life changes, it changes easily. Last week it became all-too-clear that our co-ops had to end. My sweet little boy is just too challenged with life to handle that much "group learning" with grace. My children both have a sensory integration issues that can make participating in large groups a challenge. This is why we really homeschool.

I write all this because I have received kudos from Suzanne over at Let's Talk Organizing. Wow, such nice words from someone that I really respect! I love that! The internet is really making the world a small town!

So, what IS going one here? I'm sure that this looks like complete chaos. But, there really is a good system at work here. For me it is fantastic, and I will tell you why.

First, I broke it all down to the "5 work/school days" per week. I hope one day to be so organized that I will figure out a good rhythm for our weekends, but that time is just not now (besides, that is Don's job). My goal, is that I can get enough done during the week that I do not have to work on Sunday, and we can have a family day. One step at a time... right?

Second, I broke down the day into "jobs." I need to know what hat am I wearing, and when. I have 3 jobs: School teacher, housewife, and craft diva. And, within all of that I need to love on myself and date my hubby! That's a tall order!

To manage ALL of this, I am using the beloved invention known as the post it note! (I hope the two guys that thought this up are living on easy street!) For these "jobs" I am using different colors.

Here's the low down...
  • Light Pink is for me time! Workouts, Weight Watchers ( I start tomorrow!), and personal time! Every morning I do something for me!
  • Orange is for meals. I don't get too crazy here, all I have done is make a theme for each night. Monday, Italian; Tuesday, breakfast for dinner; Wednesday, Asian; Thursday Mexican; Friday, pizza. This just gives me a little bit of structure. I used to try and do a meal plan but that was just not something that I would follow for more that a day or two. If that!
  • Light Yellow is for chores. Home blessing if you are in the Fly Lady court. Call it what you want but this is really important when you school, work and live in your house 24/7. Nothing makes it harder to get creative than a really dirty house. But don't get me wrong I am NO neat freak! Right Don?
  • Bright Yellow is for homeschool email. This can be a lot of emailing so I really needed to separate it from Modern June. I also answer my baby sitting co-op email and personal email here too. These two are not significant at all so it works well along side the school stuff.
  • Bright Pink is for "at home" homeschool. The work that we do with in our home, just the three of us. On these lined post its I have written out what I want to accomplish on each given day. I also have set times for projects.
  • Coral Pink is for "away from home" homeschool. This color post it shows all the classes, coops and clubs. I also want to fit in some of the organized park days that Richmond Area Homeschoolers hosts about town.
  • Lavender and Light Blue post it's are for the kids individual classes. Maddie is Lavender so she has a note for her serious drawing class. And Aidan has a blue note for his pottery class.
  • Teal is for Modern June stitching and cutting time. I found the lined notes in the Target clearance bins. I love to shop for office and school stuff mid September when it is all marked way down! Any how, these are great of list making. I write down what orders I need to fill and what things I need to make here. This is so much better than the hidden list in the notebook! I used to waste loads of time making these lists and never looking at them.
  • Bright Neon Green tells me when to do my Modern June computer stuff. This is when I need to blog, attend to Modern June email and to do add to my Etsy site.
  • Medium Green is when I work on Modern June away from home. I have two days when I can go shopping. I have been wasting a lot of my best work day Saturday running errands, picking up thread, fabric and such. I really needed to add this in! This should really help me out a lot! I also have two days when I can do hand work while I wait on kids to get out of classes!
  • Dark Yellow tells me when to go grocery shopping. No more excuses for running out of food because I am just to darn busy to run to the GROC. I think this should help our budget too. It costs a lot to be unprepared!
I am gazing at my new week-on-a-door and I love it. This is the ideal HS (homeschooling) schedule, we don't leave the house before 12:00 and we are not doing anything at all in the evenings. Dreamy. If I can just do the Modern June schedule this way it is I will be rockin'!!!

So do you think I am psycho? I know for some folks this is over the top. But hey, it works for me! I am proud to finally be getting it together! I think that this time I really have some tools that will work for me! I think this system will be one I can stick to! (I could not resist the pun)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great system! I was thinking it would never work for me because the only place I could think to do it and where I would be able to check it frequently is on the fridge and the idea of having my business out for all the world to see bugs me. Even though all the world at my house is pretty much just my little family. So then I'd constantly be telling them to stop messing with it. Then it occurred to me my newly fixed-up craft cabinet has doors on the top half and I could try a mini version of your system on the inside of them. It would be conveniient, but private place for me to check and I wouldn't forget because I'm in there evey day- it's where I keep my laptop and Lee's math program. If I do it, I'll post it on my blog for you to see.

I'm sorry the co-ops didn't work out for you. Even if it's best for the kids to skip them- it's nice chance to socialize for the moms. I miss seeing all you guys now that we're not co-oping.

Kacey said...

I love it! You have inspired me to do the same. I too could never use a palm pilot. My husband makes fun of me because I can't have my to do list even on the computer. I need lists. My lists have been a mess so far though. This is just the system I need.

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh! I am loving loving loving it! The most important element is that it works for YOU! You customized a basic little system and you made it fit your needs! Way to go, woman! I am just giddy with excitement over this!!

Kelly McCants said...

Hi Lynn, I miss you too! I can't wait to see what you do with the sticky system! And what about this newly fixed up craft cabinet! ooh la la! I going to check you blog right now and see if you have posted about it!

I am really sorry about the co-ops too! Aidan just can't get it together with the baby business. He just can't not function with all the toddlers and babies around him.

Don is adamant about getting on the fish oil! What brand should we use? I am going to take him to OT as soon as I can get in!

hope your school stuff is happy and fun!

xoxoxo K

Kelly McCants said...

Rockergirrl, how you doing?

Birds of a feather right? It totally makes sense that this system works for us crafty types. Its all about the visual!

I need to put my Palm Pilot on ebay! I have used it 4 times in 4 months!

Hope you and the babies are well!

Kelly

Kelly McCants said...

Suzanne you are to kind! You make an old woman blush!

You're right all that matters is if it works for me! I was so surprised when I first found you to learn about the 3 different types of organizing! This just makes so much sense!

I want you to have you books published and have articles in magazines like Real Simple! I mean this is good stuff!

Oh by the way the office looks great! It must be great not to be in the house any longer! All good business start in the dining room, don't they! That is where mine started out too! I dream of a studio with stitchers and cutters all working on the Modern June dream! Someday, someday!

have fun! kelly

Kitty Pearl said...

Godd for you, Organizeing the New Year! You'll have Sundays free by Easter :)