Did you go over budget on groceries these last two months? That’s easy to do with holiday baking and entertaining family and friends.  Odds are you have leftovers or your pantry is bulging from extras that were not consumed.

Why not take a Kitchen Inventory? A Kitchen Inventory lends itself to meal planning and is a good way to put feet to your New Year goals of healthy eating, watching finances, or spending more face time with family.

Let’s get started then!

1.  Grab a pad and pen. Divide your paper into five sections: Refrigerated (fresh) Food, Dry Goods (canned and boxed), Frozen Foods, and Expendables (spices, leavening, oils).  If you want to get fancy, EHow has instructions on making a computer inventory here. Just don’t make this harder than it is, OK?

2.  Make a list of what you have on hand in fridge, freezer, and pantry, checking “use by” dates as you go. Throw out any bulging cans!

3.  Put a star by:

• Fresh food  more than a week old (like those baby carrots you swore you would eat instead of cookies and candy)
• Canned goods/boxed foods more than a month old
• Frozen food more than 2 months old
• Spices/seasonings  more than 1 year old for ground, 2 years for whole.

4.  Brainstorm meals that will use only what you have on hand, especially the starred foods. Think soups, stir fry, casseroles. Recipe sites that allow you to search by ingredients can help.  These are a few of my favorites:   recipe.com,  allrecipes.com,  RachelRay.com

5. Make a grocery list including only the staples (bread, milk, eggs) you go through regularly and specific ingredients you will use in the next 5-7 day’s meals.

Yes, making the inventory takes time, but this process gives back to you! What you will save:  time wondering what to have for dinner, money you can put toward any holiday charges hanging around your neck, space in fridge/pantry for fresh ingredients.

Do this exercise once a month to truly gain is control over your kitchen storage spaces, your food consumption, and your grocery bill. You are your manager. Would you hire yourself?

Save on Groceries with a Kitchen Inventory is a post from Organized for Life - . Copyright © Organized For Life, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Does your struggle to be productive at work and at home feel like waging war with yourself and others?

Perhaps it makes sense to perceive that struggle as a battle ground. You are the commander. You are waging war on several fronts – special projects, ongoing skirmishes, and supply logistics.  You have a map of the terrain (the floor plan) and know what your resources are:  equipment,  personnel, and supply lines.

To win the battle, you  must match trained personnel with specialized equipment and ensure that needed supplies are available for immediate use. In other words, you want to have all the components needed to engage the enemy to come together in the same place at the same time.

I’m sure you have decided (as I have) to work on a certain project only to spend 20 minutes or more gathering all the varying pieces of information, supplies, and equipment before you can begin. Whether that is finding your mixing bowl in the kitchen, asking yourself “Where did I put my 3-hole punch this time?”, or just trying to get the kids out the door in the morning, it is time-consuming as well as frustrating!

The answer is to designate action zones.

1. First make a decision that you are  going to start now! The time you spend in planning for efficiency will be returned to you tenfold.
2. Brainstorm. Ask yourself what activities you actually DO in the room/area you are organizing. Perhaps the question should be – what activities do you ideally want to do there!
3. Assign specific areas in the room, or zones, to similar activities. Try to limit each room to 2-3 zones. In an office you might have action zones for:
   • Communication Central – your desktop and shelf above
   • Reference library – bookshelf and file drawer
   • Action/Projects – credenza with In/Out boxes and incline sorter for specific activities/projects.
4. Place equipment and supplies within arm’s reach in the appropriate zone for each activity.
   • Filing – extra hanging files, manila file folders, labels
   • Enjoying media – TV, Radio/CD player, VCR/DVD player, CD’s, DVD’s, and remotes, of course.
   • Paying bills – computer, bills, calculator, check book, stamps, address labels
   • Baking – measuring cups and spoons; mixing bowls; baking pans; spices, extracts and leavening agents
   • Getting in the car – keys, diaper bag, shoes, coats, hat, gloves & backpacks

Now that you have the stage set for control over each new project, all you need are the trained personnel. Is that you or do you have employees, friends, or children you can delegate the task to?

The beauty of action zones is that whoever is assigned to that battle will have all the tools necessary to succeed! That will save you time in both set- up and in wages paid.

You may find that once you know where everything is to get started quickly, you are raring to take on that project yourself, right now. You are the commander and it is an easy victory!

Declare War on Time-Consuming Clutter with Action Zones is a post from Organized for Life - . Copyright © Organized For Life, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

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OK, it’s time to decide how you will celebrate the religious holiday you embrace this season. Once you have several (no more than 3!) preferred activities in mind, you can begin to plan on menus, invitations, and gifts.

I love making lists, getting my ideas on paper. I simply refuse to try to juggle a myriad of details in my brain.

That’s why I love the ready-made lists that are available for a $20 yearly charge at ListPlanIt.com!  I have the professional membership so I can share pertinent lists with my clients.

You may choose to instantly download ListPlanIt’s Holiday ePlanner for just $7!  These are a few of the lists you will be able to access:

• Card lists & planners
• Address book
• Gift/Wish lists
• Holiday party planning pages
• Holiday meal planning pages
• Daily, Weekly, Monthly calendars & to do lists
• Advent planning pages

Sometimes the lists remind me of something I had not thought of. Have fun making your lists and getting a head start on fun and relaxing holidays!

Product Review: Holiday Planning Tool is a post from Organized for Life - . Copyright © Organized For Life, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

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Take phones off hooks or turn down the ringer sound, don’t check email or texts, get a drink and go to the bathroom before your hour starts. Then use that hour to take a huge bite out of that task.
This works for me. I do my best thinking when I am immersed in a project. I feel like I am diving deep under the surface and don’t even come up for air.

These are two of the timing tools I like best:

Click the image for a larger view - focusbooster.com App

Focus Booster– a free app that you download, then use as a timer on your computer. Note: when setting the time, moving the cursor to the right adds time, moving to the left gives less time.

Click the image for a larger view - Digital Hourglass Timer by Polder

Digital Hourglass Timer by Polder – This is a funky clock and timer with digital “sand” timing up to 99 minutes. Useful when you are working around the house, or as a limiting factor in meetings or workshops! Also available at selected Target stores.

Try the “power hour” with one of these or any timer you have on hand. See if it works for you. You may need some background noise if you are more of an auditory, sensing type.

If an hour is too long, start with 10 minutes of concentrated effort and lengthen the interval as you get more comfortable.

Now is also a good time to use your “power hour” to start on that thing you have been putting off for forever!

Time Management : The Power Hour is a post from Organized for Life - . Copyright © Organized For Life, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

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You and I are project managers, too. Without thinking about it, we go through certain steps to make sure something gets done on time. Sometimes we miss a step, the project falters, and we are scrambling to catch up. Perhaps we can learn some tips from the experts.

First, let’s make sure we agree on what a project is. This is the short definition in Project Management for Dummies by Stanley E. Portny, PMP:

A project is a temporary undertaking performed to produce a unique product, service, or result.

In plain English, that means:  

• A project has a beginning, middle and an end with specific start and end dates.
• The result or product is well-defined and measurable.
• Resources are necessary to complete the project (ex. people’s time and effort, money).

There are 5 steps that constitute a complete project cycle. Let’s walk through the steps and apply them to a summer project. Say, for example, you want to take a trip to see the Grand Canyon.

1. Initiating – Starting the project by clarifying needs/desires, expectations, budget, who will be involved.~~ Decide you are actually going to take that trip to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon. Invite
   people to go with you, ask what else they want to see. Estimate how much the trip will cost
   and whether you can afford it.
2. Planning – Working out details on what is involved (scope), resources available, timing, and what can go wrong. Decide who will do what and when in order to be done on time.~~Check out airfares to see where and when you will fly out west. Plan how long you will stay based on  available resources. Map out what you will see and where you need to book overnight stays. Look at the extended forecast for an idea of what to pack. Think about what could go wrong and plan for contingencies.
3. Executing – Taking action; work as a team.~~Book flights, rental car, hotel rooms. Have mail and papers held. Pack suitcases, get spending money and meet at the airport at the appropriate date and time. Delegate some tasks to make other traveler(s) feel invested in the process.
4. Monitoring/Controlling – Tracking performance to stay on time and budget.~~While vacationing according to plan, be flexible to account for unexpected delays or expenses. Adjust your itinerary accordingly to stay within your budget and get to the airport on time to come home.
5. Closing – Get approval on final results. Do a post-project evaluation to acknowledge what did well, lessons learned on ways to improve.~~Pat yourself on the back for checking that wish off your bucket list! Jot down a few notes on what you will do differently next time.

My Request to You

Take a piece of paper. Identify one project you are thinking of starting or are in the middle of.

Write the 5 steps on your paper. Next to each one, brainstorm what tasks/actions will be needed.
Assign a start and an end date to your project. Then work backward asking yourself, “When will I have to get this particular task done in order to finish my project on time?”

You will be amazed at the solid plan you end up with! Call this your “skeleton” and flesh it out as you walk through each stage. Don’t you love having a plan on paper so you don’t have to waste brain cells rethinking all the time? Now, just do it!

Getting That Project from To Do to DONE! is a post from Organized for Life - . Copyright © Organized For Life, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

One of the things I admire about my daughter is that she has timing down to a science on meals, naps and TV viewing. I am having fun analyzing what systems are working for her.

The three measuring points of a system are:

1. Easy – does it make the action simpler or more complicated/hard to remember?
2. Effective – does it get the job done?
3. Efficient – are resources used wisely?

Don’t we all want to get things done quickly, simply, and without using too much money or energy? That is even more appealing during the summer months when we want to go in, get it done, and get back outside for fun in the sun!

So pick one task that you perform on a daily or weekly basis. Evaluate by asking yourself the 3 E’s. If your way of doing that task fails in one area, ask yourself how you can tweak the process to get it done more quickly or easily.

Making one small change – relocating supplies closer to where used for example – can make a big difference.

I’m with you. Let’s conserve energy and enjoy easy!

Analyze Systems with 3 E’s is a post from Organized for Life - . Copyright © Organized For Life, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday, my husband was cleaning his bathroom. He called out to me, “Martha, I don’t think I have said ‘Thank You!’ for all those years you kept our bathrooms clean. I didn’t know how much work that was.”

My reply – “That means a lot to me, Jeff. Thank you for saying so.”

Many times the majority of the work to maintain a home and a healthy family falls to women. We are nurturers, men are hunters. These are the main areas we see to:

Physical – Life Sustaining, The Big 3: food, clothing, shelter

• Meal planning, food purchase
• Laundry, Clothing purchase and repair
• Housekeeping

Relational – The People Factor

• Adult partners
• Children to adults
• Adult children to Adult parents

Scheduling and Communication – Taking Care of Business

• Work
• School
• Extra-curricular (optional!!)

When you read through that list, do you get tired and wonder where you find the time to actually do all of those things? I do!

Is this helping you to see how valuable your time is? You have to guard against spending it too quickly or without thought.

I’d like to offer three time management principles that can help us wives, moms, and homemakers be more effective and efficient every day.

PRINCIPLE #1 – LEARN TO SAY “NO!”

Stall if you have to when you are asked to do something. Say, “Let me check my schedule.” Then call back and say “Thank you for asking
me to _______________. I’m sorry, but I have already made a commitment that will not allow me to do that.” No further explanation is necessary.

PRINCIPLE #2: FOCUS

Focus on one person or task when you can. To focus is to think about the same thing we are doing.

Management and mothering have a lot in common. These are two of the most interruption-rich jobs! Multitasking is sometimes necessary, but should not be our preferred operating tactic.

Looking at our child when he/she is talking is one of the most loving things we can do!

PRINCIPLE #3: ASK FOR HELP

Don’t try to go it alone or be a martyr. Get the kids involved.
Ask your husband, or sister, or mother for some help. Let the person who is doing the job do it their way. Praise even small efforts.

How are you doing on the front lines? Ready to delegate instead of being the Lone Ranger?

Our Mom’s Summer Series is a place to start. Thursday, July 16th we will zero in on how to get children to help around the house. To succeed at using chores at home, moms must start early, train, have enthusiasm, and lavishly praise.

“All you can do is all you can do, but all you can do is enough.”

A.L. Williams

Time Management Principles for Moms is a post from Organized for Life - . Copyright © Organized For Life, LLC, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

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