Author by : Carole Pagan

So, how’s life been this week? Crazy? And just think – the
Holiday season is just starting!

There’s one word that is the whole key to survival –
Routine.

The more things you can make part of a routine, the
easier life will be for everyone. You’ve heard that kids
do better with a set routine. It’s very true. So do your
pets. So do you!

On days when I’m not 100%, I’m able to fall into what
I call ‘robot-mode’. That’s when I just mechanically do
my routine without much thought. But in order to be
able to do that, you have to have a routine down pat
in the first place.

Here’s some of my routines that might help you out –

Get up 15 minutes earlier to make lunches, check for
any permission slips, payments, etc, that may have
slipped by you. Take something out of the freezer for
dinner and make sure you have all the ingredients
you’ll need. If not, you’ll need to plan a quick stop at
the store (or another family member can be assigned
a trip to the store). If you find you’re going to have
to stop at the store anyway, how about planning for
tomorrow too?

Have a place for everyone to dump their stuff when
they get home. Now that you sort of have a feel for
just how much stuff that is, you can designate maybe
a shelf or a bin. Get everyone used to their ’spot’ early
on. Including you! Have some sort of sorter, or bins
in place for mail, school papers, etc. Make sure there
is a waste-can there too. A lot of the stuff can go right
in.

The kids can put any school papers you need to look
at in the ’school paper’ bin, or slot. You can sort through
it right after eating and discuss anything you need to
with them before everyone disperses for the evening.

Get in the habit of making quick healthy dinners, and
having everyone eat together. You’ll all be healthier,
have more energy, and you’ll stay in touch and take
a little time to relax together. If you need help coming
up with quick dinner ideas, see Cooking With a Thin
Attitude.

Have everyone pitch in to clean up after dinner. That
way it will only take a few minutes.

Do one housekeeping thing every night. If you own
Secret Confessions of a Clean Freak, you know there
is a system for doing a specific thing each night so
your house stays clean and you don’t have to be
spending your weekends cleaning house.

If you don’t own the e-book, you should, but essentially-
you do one thing each night. One night dust, one night
floors, one night the kitchen, one night the bathrooms.

My personal cardinal rule is that I have the kitchen
cleaned up before I go to bed. I don’t want to start
tomorrow with a left over mess.

OK, it’s a given that you have to get up the same time
every day, but you also have to make sure you’re
getting to bed on time every night. I know, this one’s
hard for me too!

And one more tip – give up the idea of perfection.
You’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. No one is.
So give yourself a break! Relax and enjoy the ride.

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[tags]organization, time management, save time[/tags]

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