Active Moms’ Club is thrilled to introduce our newest partner and guest blogger, Katie Lewis, kid savvy founder of Strollers and Stilettos®.
Being a mom requires the never-ending chore of multi-tasking, juggling, and scheduling to keep your family organized. We asked Katie, master planner, to provide us with some useful tips to get your family organized.
Lists
It’s the easiest “to-do.” Create lists of daily or weekly things you need to do, places to go, things to buy, and errands to run. In addition, create weekly grocery store lists, menus and any other lists to help you recall things.
Family Calendar
Put all appointments and events in a communal calendar that all family members can see. Include family plans for the week so everyone can keep track of each other and avoid being over overcommitted. Saying “no” is not a bad thing.
A Home For Everything
Create a place for everything in your home: mail, kid’s homework assignments, bills, remote controls and any other items that you need to keep track of. Are you always looking for tape, a pair of scissors and wrapping paper? Create a box and keep all these items in one place so they next time you need to wrap a gift you’ll know exactly where to go. Look around – what in your home needs a home? Create a place for everything. This will help you and your family know where things are and where they need to be returned.
Meal Planning
Once a week or month, sit down and plan out your meals. Create shopping lists to go along with your meal plan so you are prepared. The value of meal planning may also save you money. Plus, a meal with the family is a way to connect after a hard day’s work. Go to Family.com or Foodnetwork.com for easy recipe ideas. Use a meal planner template to be more organized.
De-Clutter & Sort
Organize your little one’s clothing, books, clothing, pictures, toys, closets, etc. Sort out the items your child has outgrown to de-clutter, and create labeled bins for the items you are saving. The less stuff you have to maintain, the more organized you’ll feel.
Say No
Families today are busy filling their days with activities and commitments. Teach your family to say “no” by modeling it to them. Do not overbook your days with multiple activities, projects and commitments. Give your family the gift of saying no and having time to be at home as a family. You can only be organized as a family if you have time to be together.
Hire Help
There may come a time when you just need to hire a helping hand, or two, to assist with household duties and family logistics. Strollers and Stilettos® is full-service agency and concierge that will help you find an ideal nanny, plan a party, complete personal assistance work and so much more.
Katie Lewis is founder of Strollers and Stilettos®. Katie began her career as an elementary education teacher and nanny. While working as a nanny and household manager for busy professionals in Chicago, she began to notice a pattern among all of her families: they needed assistance in managing the many aspects that come along with having children. Katie realized the opportunity to serve a niche clientele of busy professionals, people who never seem to have enough time for the little ones who matter the most to them. Thus, Strollers and Stilettos was started with a mission to help make families’ lives easier by doing the things they don’t have time for or just might not want to do.
For more information, visit strollersandstilettos.com, or email Katie at info@strollersandstilettos.com.