DIY Dry Erase Resolutions Board

I can be forgetful and absentminded which tends to get in the way of achieving positive new resolutions. My solution? Keep all your good intentions close at hand and always visible via this DIY Dry Erase Resolutions board! I love an easy and attractive project, and I'm sharing all the details over at SheKnows.

Click here to read more via my article for SheKnows>>

I hope you enjoy my first article/project as a contributor at SheKnows, and I am looking forward to writing many more! So keep your eyes peeled!

List Love

Yesterday I spied stationary on Pinterest that read "Keep Calm And Make A List". *Chuckle*. You have no idea how many times I have said that very thing to myself. I LOVE checklists! Probably because they bring some semblance of sanity and direction to my crazy life! There is just one little hiccup in my list making... losing lists! 
Between the girls doodles and my lists, our house always looks like a paper snowstorm hit. Just how helpful are written lists when they have disappeared in that snowstorm? Yeah...
Much to my delight I have discovered a fantastic solution, ListPlanIt.com! 
Now my lists are compiled in one place, and accessible on any device anywhere I go!

Yes, drool my organization chasing friends! This lovely website not only helps you get a head start on your lists, but keeps all your important checklists together in one place. Of course, if you prefer a hard copy you can save to your desktop or even print for reference, since there are downloadable options available!

I am loving this resource, so I'm super excited to announce that Jennifer Tankersley (the founder of List PlanIt) is sponsoring a giveaway here on the blog today! Two lucky winners will receive a free year subscription to ListPlanIt.com!

My Many Lists

A good list can help choral chaos, increase efficiency, and aid all those who have less-than-photographic memory. I admit, I have problems in all three of those areas, so I am a big list maker. Well, if you follow my blog you know that I've discovered the merits of a good list.
You've seen (and possibly printed) my Kids Chore Chart and Chore Checklists, and even my Desktop Paper Organizer list... and that doesn't even scratch the surface of my list obsession! Good grief, we won't even talk about whats in my Home Management Binder!

Well, now that List PlanIt is feeding that obsession, I have added a whole new set of lists! And they aren't floating around on some random piece of paper under a couch somewhere (thank goodness!).

Here is a sneak peak at just a few of my lists on List PlanIt. FYI, my two favorite are the Honey Do list, and the Home Improvements list...they are awesome ("awesome" said in a sing-songy voice).

There are hundreds of fantastic lists to choose from on List PlanIt, but that didn't stop me from customizing a list to fit my exact needs. I created a Room by Room Updates checklist from a list originally designed for decluttering ( previously called "room by room purge"). Oh, I'll let you take a peak at a small part of that list... I'm kind of eager to share all the projects I'll be doing on the blog for the next couple years! *exhausted grin*

But enough about my list obsession, it's time for you to get your list lov'in on. Have you checked it out yet? Why not? Go! check out ListPlanIt.com, and you can also follow List PlanIt on Pinterest ...oh wait, do that after you enter the giveaway below!
Not one, but two lucky people will win a year long subscription to ListPlanIt.com! Even better, we are all winners with a special discount for Home Made by Carmona followers! When you sign up at ListPlanIt.com you get a 30 day free trial (which you should all do), and now use this code HOMEMADE20 to continue your monthly subscription for 20% off! That's $4 per month to get and stay organized! (Now that's my kind of price! Cheapy cheapmore over here... lol!)
Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, enter to win! And good luck!!
This Contest is now closed:
Congratulations to our Winners: Stephanie & Tricia!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chore System for the Kids

Keeping a clean house can be like pulling teeth...a lot of pressure now, and painful later. 
Most of us fuss and "remind" until we're blue in the face. Hi, my name is "most of us", and I'm a recovering fusser. It has been quite a journey, I have gone through several chart variations, attempted several systems of reward and discipline, and lots and lots of sighing very deeply. 

The "Task" Center
This area consists of three important parts to help us stay on task; Customized Chore Charts, Work for Hire, and Chore of the Week. No worries, it is simpler than it sounds.

Customized Chore Charts
There are plenty of awesome chore charts floating around Pinterest, but as I can never do anything the easy way, I went ahead and customized charts for my girls. 
I felt the need to have a Daily Schedule for quick reference, a To-Do list and a Personal Goals list included in the chore chart. The To-Do's are more like reminders for those daily tasks that I didn't want my kids to associate as a chore, such as piano practice. I also allowed them to create their own personal goals to work toward, it gives them a sense of ownership. 
I will make my customizable chart available to you in a word document for personalization, and one in pdf format for those who like it as is.
I highly recommend you personalize it to your kids and their needs. Let them fill in the bubbles on the computer, type in their own names, and choose the colors and font. Maybe even change it drastically, add clip art, whatever appeals to you. I believe ownership of a project makes a big difference, both on your part as well as your kids! Make it fun, you really want your kids to have as much a positive view as possible when you're establishing a chore system!

Download the Kids Chore Chart Word doc, customize, and print! Or if you prefer to keep the same layout I have already created, print and fill in with pen the Kids Chore Chart pdf version.

Chore of the Week
Messes don't follow a schedule, so every chore chart needs a section that can be flexible. One of the weekly chores listed on the girls chore chart is "Chore of the Week". On that day, they can choose from one of the options I hang under a Chore of the Week label. It lets me get those extra little miscellaneous tasks accomplished that come along every month or so.

Work for Hire
The chores you use for Chore of the Week can be the same set used for Work for Hire. It gives you more opportunities to get those numerous tasks accomplished by your kids (sssshhhhh, don't tell them), and it gives them an opportunity to clean your wallet out. I'd call it a win-win, or at least a draw. Work for Hire is optional, but since my kids don't receive an allowance and I don't buy them toys, they are always clamoring to make a little money... tricky right? I'm encouraging work ethic while getting my home clean. That's right, like a fox baby, sly like a fox. (Wooo, sorry about that moment, I get a little cheesy sometimes.)

Here you can download the Chore of the Week & Work for Hire sheet. Customize, or just print and cut. 

Making it Work
No matter how many charts you employ, it isn't the chart that is going to make your kids do their work and do it well, it is you and the system you put into place.
Practice Consistency: Help your kids get into the habit of checking their chart. My kids get small breaks in between chores and school, but until all their chores and tasks for the day are completed, no real fun shall commence. In addition, they cannot opt to "Work for Hire" until all chores and tasks are complete. 
Motivate: The hubby very wisely plans "play dates" with the kiddos and "dates" with me, this way all his girls aren't clamoring for his attention at the same time. This and other fun end of day practices motivate the girls to be finished with all tasks and chores by the time dad comes home. They know that if they aren't done, they can't join in the fun until all work is completed. Then the poor sad munchkin who dawdled all day has to work whilst her sisters gleefully play. 
Reward: It's the moment when your kid comes running up to you at the end of a work day and yells "mom, I'm done! Can I play Catan with you and dad when he gets home?". Victory! She was motivated enough to follow her chart and get all her day's tasks completed all by herself, and you didn't even notice until it was done. When this happens, every so often I give the girls an extra reward to let them know I appreciate their initiative and determination. Whether it be a sweet treat, a special activity, or a simply a big hug and an "I'm so proud of you", be sure to let your munchkin know that he or she did good. 

  

Blog Post Organization

Some people sing in the shower and it magically makes them sound "incredible". I swear that is what happens with me and my "incredible" blog ideas... unfortunately they tend to fall a little flat once I'm out of the shower, then quickly fade away.
If I don't keep track of those "great ideas" they may not get started, or finished. 
I had to create a blog organization section in my home management binder to keep me on task, otherwise I might have never gotten this blog started! Perhaps one day when I am more than a newbie blogger I will have "figured it out", in the meantime, this helps a whole lot!

Blog Post Organization Sheets
My blog post organization sheets are very simple in design. I need to know at a glance what ideas I've had, how much work has been done on them, and what is yet to be accomplished. 

Ideas Column: The moment the idea pops into my head I write it down in title form onto a post-it tag and this becomes it's home until I get another chance to revisit the idea. When I'm ready to turn it into a working idea, even if it only consists of a sentence or two, I begin writing the post online. However it stays in the Idea column until there is enough content to count as being "in progress", at which point I will move it to the next column of completion. 

In Progress Column: By the time my post hits the In Progress column, I have somehow managed to form my discombobulated idea into a coherent thought and possibly added a photo or two. Occasionally I add a yellow sticky tag with a list of to-do's necessary to complete that post. These are added underneath the posts I am close to finishing and want to focus on. I write the number amount of to-do items on the end as a quick reference to how many tasks are needed to complete that post.

Completed Column: Once a post is completed it get's moved to this column until I am ready for it to be published, then it is moved to a date for publishing in the Calendar section of my Home Management Binder. Once it is published, that post-it is no longer needed and gets trashed. 

Category Stickers: From the first moment the idea post-it tag is created I stick a color coding label to show which category/page in my blog will become it's home. Does this post belong under An Organized Life, Organize by Room, or Home Decor? I always know at a glance how many posts I am working on in any given category.

Practice Being Goal Oriented 
If I am not goal oriented with my tasks, they just don't get completed. Organizing my blog ideas help me have a clear concept of what needs to be accomplished, and what kind of progress I am making on a regular basis. I highly recommend having something to keep your thoughts organized, whether a heavy blogger or a casual blogger. You will have to figure out what works best for you, but as always I will make my Blog Organizer Sheets available to you. Don't forget to laminate before use!

• Print the Blog Organizer Sheet in pdf format here.
• Download the customizable Blog Organizer sheet in Word here.

***Update: I have now including a Year-at-a-Glance cover sheet. 
Use this sheet to list and reference blog posts you have published throughout the year, or use this sheet to plan your advertising, giveaways, and chart important growth plans and patterns. 

• Print the Year-at-a-Glance sheet in pdf format here.
• Download the customizable Year-at-a-Glance sheet  in Word format here.

Happy blogging wonderful world of newly discovered bloggers!

Task & Reminder Board

We often have a thousand different thoughts and to-do's crowding our mind, and sometimes keeping track of what needs to be done can prove to be a challenge. Can you say multitask? I can't, some of us do it better than others, as for me... well let's just say "challenge" doesn't begin to cut it. *sigh*
Sometimes we just need a place to jot ourselves a note to help remember the little things. So I tried a pin board in the office, and a task board in the kitchen, no dice, I still couldn't keep track. Finally it dawned on me that the one place I hadn't tried a task & reminder board was in my bedroom. I want my task board to be the first thing I see when I pry my eyes open in the morning, the last thing I glimpse at night (which makes my husband envious of a task board... *snicker*), and in easy reach when I wake up at 3 in the AM because my brain just won't stop. Sometimes you need to be able to jot yourself a note to have enough peace to go back to sleep.

Bedroom Task & Reminder Board
Much to my delight, this location made a difference! Who'd a thunk? Not only could I sleep more soundly at night, but lo' and behold it appears there is hope for me being task oriented yet! If you have a hard time keeping track of the little odd-end things-to-be-done, give it a go, perhaps it will help. Oooh, but I do have a few tips to make your task board all the better.
One, be creative: I confess that the pin board I had previously used didn't really appeal to me nor did it inspire me to make the best use of it. So I thought I'd try something a little different, a framed task board. It gave me a chance to use my beloved stickies and dry erasers! A favorite glass framed picture, a mirror, or even a framed cork board can spice things up a bit.
Two, make it pretty: I used a gorgeous wrapping paper instead of pictures. I didn't want it to be busy, so I covered a few sections with off-white paper and let the wrapping paper image show through from behind.
Three, categorize your tasks: Don't be content with a messy board full of stickies, notes, and papers everywhere. Believe me, disorderly tasking doesn't make for order. I'm just saying... I created categories to more easily keep track of what needs to be done. I categorized by Blog Tasks, my dinner Menu Plan, a Miscellaneous Notes section, a To-Do List, and a Calendar.  
    

Cleaning Checklists

I am SO glad I thought to put these little checklists together. Nothing gets old faster than hearing "mom, do I have to clean the sink too?", "mom, is this hall a part of the entryway?", "mom, is it good enough yet?"...yep, something had to be done. 

I quickly (and a little frantically) typed up tasks to be done in order to complete each room. The trick is to keep it simple but thorough, use words your children can clearly identify with. 
Just to cutesy it up a bit I added Microsoft cleaning clip art, printed and cut each checklist to size. Next, I protected each list using self-sealing laminating sheets. I'm sure you can find them in most stores, I used the Scotch 4x6 photo laminating pouches I found at Walmart. This little project only took 15 minutes! Finally, I store the checklists near the cleaning tools and products in the laundry room. It is important to ensure the girls will be able to easily grab the checklist, cleaners and tools, and toss them all into a caddy to quickly cart it to the offending room.

Guess what I hear now? "Mom, I'm done, do you need to check?", and I get to say "nope, you followed the list? Then I'm sure it's great!"...and it is!! Yay me (and yay my awesome little workers)!  I definitely recommend this course of action to all moms who value their sanity. *wry chuckle*

My Free Printable Checklist
I will include the pdf, as well as the word document for those who want to customize colors, font, and the chore to-do's! You will also find a payment sheet not in these photos. I use it with the Work for Hire section of my Chore System. You can read more about my system here...everything works very well together to keep us on task!

Click on the Desired Checklist:
-Chore Checklist in customizable word doc. (must download to alter & view)
-Chore Checklist in pdf format for printing as-is