I love to organize and make lists! Unfortunately, I'm not very good at staying organized when the realities of our busy lives set in. Long work days for two teacher parents, two small children, preschool drop-offs and pick-ups to arrange, meal planning and preparations, multiple caretakers coming and going,... it all gets a bit crazy once the school year starts!
That's why I was so excited when I came across the Household Binder at IHeartOrganizing!
With the Household Binder I hope I can finally organize our family and maintain organization to make for a smoother school year for us this year.
The Household Binder comes with:
* Binder Coversheet w/Spine (with your choice of super cute and colourful design)
* 12 Month Calendar
* Daily Goals
* Week at a Glance Calendar
* Task Checklist
* Family Outings Idea List
* Monthly Finance Checklist
* Monthly Budget Worksheets
* Home Maintenance Checklist
* Home To Do Checklist
* Cleaning Checklist
* Automotive Maintenance Log
* Important Home Information Worksheets
* Travel Checklist
* Babysitter Notes
* Pet Sitter Notes
* Contacts
* Shopping List
* Meal Planning Calendar
* Freezer Inventory
* Fridge Inventory
* Pantry Inventory
* Blog To Do Checklist
* Password Log
* Important Dates Chart
* Gift Giving Budget Tracker
* Party Planning Checklist
* Media Inventory
* Library System Tracker
The binder is a downloadable PDF, so you just print it off and pop it in a binder to keep in your kitchen for quick and easy access. You can print off as many copies of pages as you like, or only print the pages that you want. I even chose to laminate some pages for easy write-and-wipe reusing.
I love the cute, colourful designs (and did I mention that it's personalized? You choose the design and then they put your family members' names on it - on the cover and also on the relevant pages inside.) The pages that are my favourites for our family's needs are:
- * the password log - no more trying out 5 different passwords before coming to the right one! (I don't recommend keeping this page in the binder, though - instead, hide it in a secure spot -- maybe taped to the underside of your desk or inside of a cupboard)
- * the finance checklist - for keeping track of bills to be paid each month (we so need this!)
- * the home to-do checklist - to keep our never-ending list of household tasks in one place
- * the party planner - I expect I will use this one A LOT! I always make pages of lists for party planning then wish I had kept them to remember the next time! This is one I am definitely laminating.
- * the travel checklist - this is sorted into items 'to pack' and items 'to do'. I recommend writing in a few basics (you'll always need to pack your toothbrush and pyjamas and you'll always need to take out the garbage before you leave), then laminating the page. That way, you have your basics always on there and can add other items specific to a particular trip.
- * the babysitter notes - again, I recommend filling in some of the items (like notes about each kid) then laminating it for re-use each time you go out
- * the meal planning calendar and associated shopping list - I love how they are related and the shopping list has a place to write the meals that you have planned for the week.
- * and for me: the blog ideas list - great to jot down ideas when I don't have the computer on.
Negatives? Well, I think it is a little bit pricey when you consider the printing costs. But I look at it as an investment in the family's happiness. A better organized family = a smoother functioning family = happier and less-stressed parents = happier kids! And with better organization, there's less time wasted on trying to find/remember/decide things, making more time to play and have fun together as a family! Definitely worthwhile!
(There are also lots of options to buy single pages rather than the full binder - check out the I Heart Organizing Etsy shop. And check out the free printables available at IHeartOrganizing too!)
*ADDITION: I Heart Organizing would like to offer up a free downloadable Household Binder for one lucky Mama Pea Pod reader! To enter, leave a comment below stating which style of cover you would choose (you can see the choices here). Open internationally. Contest closes Sept. 8th, 2012.
*ADDITION: I Heart Organizing would like to offer up a free downloadable Household Binder for one lucky Mama Pea Pod reader! To enter, leave a comment below stating which style of cover you would choose (you can see the choices here). Open internationally. Contest closes Sept. 8th, 2012.
