How to Stay Organised on Sundays

Stay organised... on Sundays??? I've always thought Sunday is that wonderful day to do nothing but sleep and go out with friends; that has often led me to awful Mondays when I wake up stressed out because I can't find my clothes, my kids' backpack, the house is a mess and I have to spend more time cleaning.

When you have kids, you have to plan a lot and prepare for the unexpected. Every Monday, they need their school clothes and their breakfast ready. On the other hand, if you work, like me, you can't grab the first pair of jeans in your wardrobe, you must dress properly (well, I suppose it depends on your job). Last minute surprises are the worst thing on Sunday evening when you're tired and you realised you haven't washed your kids' sport clothes.

We often go out on Sundays, as we like going to our parent's to have lunch and have a walk with friends in the afternoons; however, knowing everything at home was a mess and thinking of all I had to do when I got home didn't let me enjoy those moments. that's why I decided to start a quick morning routine on Sundays to help me stay organised.

# 1 Fast vacuum: if you've read my post  http://www.organisedandhappy.com/2015/12/3-reasons-vacuum-everyday/ you know I'm a big fan of vacuuming. If your house is not big, like mine, you can do it in ten minutes, and this simple chore will make your house look clean.

# 2 Declutter: if it's part of your morning or night chores, it won't take much time. decluttering is also the best way to fake a clean house when you don't have time to clean.

# 3 Prepare tomorrow's clothes: This might seem a silly thing to do on a Sunday morning, but having everybody's clothes ready in the morning will release you from 'Sunday evening stress'; I mean, that overwhelming feeling that flourishes when you get home after a great day with friends or family and you think of all the things you have to do because tomorrow is Monday.

I do the laundry on Tuesdays and on Fridays (if you want to see how I organise my daily chores, you can have a look at my post  http://www.organisedandhappy.com/2015/11/survival-tips-for-working-moms/) so, at least, my kids' clothes will be dry and ready by Sunday. I organise my clothes by outfits, so I only have to take the hanger.

I hope these ideas will be useful and help you stay organised. I know you all have different cleaning routines: what do you do on Sundays? nothing at all? or is it the day you do all the cleaning? Please, leave your comments below!

3 Tasks that will Change your Life: Budget, Meal Plan, Cleaning

Month after month I've developed a simple routine that has changed my life completely: at the end of each month I plan for the next one. I know things can change as days go by, but having lived a complete disorganised life in the past, I can say that it's good for the family and the house maintenance to have a plan and stick to it as much as possible. And when I say "plan", I mean three main areas: budget, meal plan, and cleaning.

Here I am, everybody is sleeping and I'm enjoying those few moments alone. I've just finished budgeting for January, which has been quite of a mess, after the Christmas gifts, and all those extra expenses I always forget to set money aside for. When I finish this post, I'm going to organise January's meal plan, as I want to buy everything I need to start cooking and freezing meals for the next month.

# Budget: set aside money for the main categories: mortgage, taxes, insurances, etc. There are lots of apps you can use to plan your expenses, but I prefer to use an excel template because I've always done it this way and I find it easy to deal with.  Probably you'll have to do this with your husband; in my case, I'm in charge of the finances (my hubby hates it!).

# Meal plan: super important!!!! you can do this weekly; lots of bloggers publish their weekly meal plan and you can get ideas from them: www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com has several weekly menus.

Personally, I do it every month because working outside the home I don't have much time and, besides, I don't like cooking...

I cook (some dishes like lentils chick,peas, pasta,etc.  can be cooked and preserved in the freezer) and prepare meals at the beginning of each month; for some other dishes I prefer to put all the ingredients in a freezer bag, freeze them, take them the night before and cook them in the slow- cooker, which I think is a must in a kitchen, especially if you work outside the home. It has a timer and has meals ready whenever you need; this way I don't have to be worried about cooking.

To save time and energy, I use the same meal plan for three months, but I check it every month as there are always meals the kids didn't like and I usually have to make changes. After three months, I plan a complete different one.

# House chores: Well, to be true, I only review my 10-day plan, and my morning and night routines, as this system works very well; however, sometimes I can't follow it because of my work, and I have to organise it in a different way; for example, I usually wipe down bathrooms before going to bed, but I already know that January is a really busy month at school (we have lots of meetings, and papers to assign and correct), this basically means I'll have a lot to do once the kids are in bed, and I know I'll be too tired to wipe down the bathrooms before going to bed. I'll have to change it in my planner and do it in the morning, when I'll probably feel much better.

And this is it! My three key tasks to do at the end of each month. Why don't you try this month? write your plan for January and stick to it  (just planning isn't enough, you have to put into action what's on paper); then, let me know! you'll see your life changes for the better.

I hope I might help you, and if you want to comment something or talk about your routines,  please do it!!!!

Save money recycling your old jumpers

We all have jumpers we never wear but don't want to get rid of; at least, I have lots of them...and I'm tired of seeing them everytime I open my closet so I've decided to use them for a better purpose. Although there are thousands of different things you can do with them, what I really want is to have a pair of socks for my boots.

The first thing you have to do is cutting the sleeves:

 After cutting the sleeves, you have to sew them.

 And this is the final result:

 With the body of the pink jumper I've made a dress for my niece  (no need to say she loves pink above all...)

But, you can try other different things like a hat or mittens, a scarf, a purse, Christmas stockings...

 

 

 

 

Save time organising your weekly outfits

Do you remember those old days at school when you didn't have to think what you would wear the following day because you already knew?

I'm talking of those ugly school uniforms...yes, they were soooo ugly but sooooo practical!

 

I've been trying a new system I saw on pinterest from a mother who organises her children outfits every week (I don't remember your name but...thank you so much!). The moment I saw it I realised that organising my outfits once a week would save me a lot of time everyday not only in thinking but also in preparing my clothes for the next day.

 

 

 

I have five hooks I only use for this purpose; in each I hang everything (underwear, tights, shirt, skirt or jeans...whatever I'll wear the following day, except accessories.). I put them together in order (Monday, Tuesday...) although sometimes I don't follow it, but what really helps is that it's already prepared and you don't have to worry about it.

 

 

 

I've been doing it for a couple of months and, I promise, it works! I hope it'll be useful for you.

Recycle an old fabric into a short jacket

Have you ever bought a piece of fabric with the idea of making a great something?

Did you put it in your crafts shelf? Did you forget it? I did...and I found it last summer when I was decluttering my sewing closet. So I decided I couldn't leave it there and, as you already know, we're on our total financial makeover and I won't buy anything until Christmas, but I want new clothes so desperately...

This is what I've done with 1 metre (39 inches -I think -is the equivalence)of fabric: a supereasy short jacket. I made some mistakes (It's my second jacket...the first one...better not showing it) but with a scarf around it, no one can see them.

 

I took the instrucions from a Burda Magazine but I think that any other publication may include jackets like this.

Conclusion: you can be pretty ( or at least, try...) and save money on clothes using old fabrics.

Recycicle an old skirt into a door protector

I spoiled one of my favourite skirts a month ago.



That stain inside the circle is the "iron mark"

...And, although I felt really bad after burning my pretty skirt with the iron ( never put a heat source on delicate fabrics...that's what my mum always says), I immediately thought its colour was perfect for a door protector as it matches with the wood floor.

 

I live in a ground floor flat and, therefore, it's a cold house, which is good in the summer but awful in winter...I think these protectors will help keep it warmer.

 

It takes only three easy steps:

1. Measure the the length of your door and add 2 cm (if it's longer than the door, it'll cover its sides completely). Decide how high you want it (personally, I don't like a huge stuff at my door but I've seen quite big ones and they look beautiful, it all depends on your creativity and the size of your door...of course): measure, draw the rectangle or mark it with a chalk or pins, and cut the fabric.
2. Sew the rectangle, except one side.
3. Fill it with pillow filler or any other kind of filler and sew the side we left open before.

  

Recycling an old sweater into boot socks

Ver "DIY Tutorial: Boot Socks" en YouTube

I watched it a couple of days ago and I thought it was a really good idea.  I've always wanted to have some different beautiful pairs of socks for my boots, but being on my total money makeover I can't afford them...and I don't have time to knit them (which doesn't mean I won't do it in the near future; actually, I'm going to do it when I finish my door protectors...)

Anyway, why should I spend money on something I can do at home with a pair of scissors?

I hope you like it too!