I had several comments about my housekeeping binder, mostly wanting to know what it is. I will admit this isn’t a unique idea, I have seen variations of this on a few different blogs. I have seen some that are a lot more detailed and others that are more simple. I am somewhere in the middle. It isn’t exactly how I would like it at this time, it is still a work in progress, but aren’t most thing!
My friend Patty asked “Is this housekeeping binder the reason you’re so organized?” I had to smile, I am one of the most unorganized people I know! This housekeeping binder is my attempt at some organization!
So here you go, a tour of my housekeeping binder.
My Binder consists of one three ringed binder and a couple of other folders for item that are too big and bulky for the regular binder that I need to keep on hand.
In the pockets I keep items that need immediate attentions, phone messages, notes from school, my check book and pen and other various items. On the first page is where the master schedule goes. It is blank right now, I am in the process of re-working our schedule.
The first section is for school. Each school age child had a plastic sleeve that is theirs. I put class room syllabuses and other various papers they bring home that need to be saved. If there is a report due, the instructions are slipped in there, and I don’t have to worry about them getting lost. If they do really well on an assignment, I will put it in their sleeve until I can get it put away.
There is also a plastic sleeve for MISC School, for things that have to do with school in general.
My next section is Food and Menus. Every two weeks when I do my shopping I plan a two week menu and it is put on the refrigerator door, when the two weeks is up the menu is put in a plastic sleeve. I have several months worth of menus saved. It is really nice if I am having a brain block to go back and look at what we have had in the past and it gives me ideas for when I am making out the current menu.
There is also a running grocery list at the back.
This is my gardening section. It is blank right now, but I am gearing up for the next planting season. I have grid paper in here so I can plot out my garden boxes. I want to start saving these and keeping notes from year to year.
This is food storage. I keep a running total of all that I have in storage in the basement. I work off a food storage calculation sheet I got off this web site http://www.thefoodguys.com/foodcalc.html. Every couple of month I update this.
The next section is health. I keep all the hand outs the Doctors give us. When we had to take Dadzoo to the ER I put the discharge slip and instructions in the plastic sleeve in this section. It makes it handy if I need to get to it. I know right where it is.
I also keep all information sheets we get from the pharmacy,
and our medical bills. I know right where they are for easy reference and payment.
Last but not least, I have my MISC household section. I keep all the various papers that I need to hold on to, but don’t really have a place for. I have instructions for my soap making and the recycling schedule all in this section. I also keep the statements from the utility companies so I can look and compare easily.
I do have a couple of extra folders that I keep stacked neatly under the binder. One is a writing journal for my 10 year old, that has to do with her homework and it just doesn’t fit well into the master binder. Another is a folder with blank paper that I take with me to Doctor appointments or teacher conferences, so I can take notes and such. The third big envelope is full of medical information, my oldest daughter has some issues and I accumulate a lot of paper in regards to that, and it all goes in this envelope for easy access.
It all says neatly (most of the time anyway!) stacked by the phone and calender.
There you have it, my housekeeping binder.
I do have a couple of extra folders that I keep stacked neatly under the binder. One is a writing journal for my 10 year old, that has to do with her homework and it just doesn’t fit well into the master binder. Another is a folder with blank paper that I take with me to Doctor appointments or teacher conferences, so I can take notes and such. The third big envelope is full of medical information, my oldest daughter has some issues and I accumulate a lot of paper in regards to that, and it all goes in this envelope for easy access.
It all says neatly (most of the time anyway!) stacked by the phone and calender.
There you have it, my housekeeping binder.
How do you all stay organized?
Wow Aimee, that’s VERY impressive! Market that bad boy of a binder you got there! I’m sure there are many of us women that could use something like this. I wish I could make a menu for 2 weeks! I can’t even think for the next day! Well done!
That is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! I’m totally going to do that!
That it really cool. I jusd keep everything in my desk, but it is neat to see what others do.
Wow!!! Aimee that looks great to me. I have a big deep basket that i never get around to. This just might get me motivated. thanks, you’re great!
Wow! I need one of these.
That is SO impressive! I swear that any good idea I will ever use will have come from you! Whenever I need to know something about being a mom, I just look at your blog!
Great binder! I don’t know what we’d do without them. 🙂
I have a housekeeping binder too but it’s just so big! I keep my large one on my shelf with my cookbooks then I have a smaller one (1″) with really important things like schedules and recipes that I’ll be using during the week right on the counter.
Hugs!
I’m impressed. You fit it all in one binder. I have a similar idea, but every person in the house has their own fabric box. We also have a filing cabinet right next to our computer that most of the medical and bill stuff gets put in.
I like you try really hard to be organized, but don’t usually feel like I’m succeeding at it.
*hugs*
I KNEW it! You ARE organized! This is great! Everything in one place. I’m a file person. Files for everything in a filing cabinet. I’ve tried several methods from a yearly medical log to a bills book. But now I use my daily planner/calendar as a calendar and a notes journal, and my bills book that I care to look at only on paydays.
Thanks for sharing this great idea. You’re more organized than you think!
I used to do something like that, but as life got more hectic it was stressing me out more than it was helping me 🙁
I have one too! Thanks to the flylady ~ it’s called my control journal and I need to bust it out, update it and USE IT!
You call yourself unorganized? That is awesome. I think I’ll try adapting it for my own needs.
man, you are good!
Since there’s no way to leave a comment on your presidential posting… LOL
I’ll say it here… WELL SAID!
After reading how you stay organized, I don’t feel very organized at all! I’m going to re-read your post and do better!
I could not agree with you more on your last post. I love your blog and have been reading previous post’s that are interesting, alot of things I can relate with in my life.
Again, that last post was great