Happy Friday!

I'm Frances and on Fridays, we'll be working to get our non-yarn lives organized. I think my fellow columnists/blogger Suzanne said it best, "I'm organized, but I'm not neat". Thus, there's piles of laundry on my living room floor, but they are organized stacks for each person in the household, by which drawer or closet they go into. Speaking of my household - I'm a wife and stay-at-home mom of 4 little people. ("Stay-at-home" is a misnomer because I am rarely at home, so you will see that some of my articles will be about being organized on the go, but I guess its better than "unemployed", sounds more modern than "homemaker", and is less likely to offend than "full-time mom".) When hubby and the kids allow, I enjoy reading, scrapbooking, crocheting, and cooking. I have space in Ravelry.com, am a Creative Memories Consultant and have a scrap website - www.love2scrap.ning.com, sometimes blog at http://slackermomof4.blogspot.com and coordinate 2 bookclubs (plus my daughter's newly formed one), am a PTA officer, and active in my community. I'm sure you could run down your list of what you do and who you are and we'd see that we are all busy folks trying to keep hold of our sanity. Hopefully, I'll be helpful in that. And, please, feel free to share with me your ideas, suggestions, and questions and I will do my best to follow up.
*****************
With intros done, let's begin. Let's first talk about that infamous "to-do" list. I know, there are list people and not list people. I'm talking to the list people, because frankly, I don't know how the non-list people function, I need a list to go upstairs and return with what I went up there for, though I think that has more to do with those brain cells one loses in pregnancy rather than being unorganized, but that's another conversation - back to our list. I used to write my list with all the things I needed to do in the forseeable future, then at the end of the day find that I have crossed off 2 of the 37 things on the list because it was just to overwhelming. But my new system is to write a shorter list - only 10 items, no more, possibly less - for the day. Preferably, I make the list the night before so I can start the morning off just thinking about making a cup of coffee. Ten seemed like a good, popular number so I use 10, perhaps you need a few more, but let's say 15 is a limit. Put the things that have to be done on that day, and when you get to 10 (or 15) stop. Go to the post office, get cash, drop off cookies to school. If you have more to do - figure out what can go on the next day's list, juggle stuff around, even start a list for the week if you need to plan that way, but don't put more than 10 on a day's list.

The list includes the big things (pay mortgage) and the little things (sew button on J's shirt). And the little things, I really try to make sure I do because those are usually the ones important to my little people and isn't that the whole point of parenthood? So yes, get paint off doll, sew teddy's nose back on, and pick up newspaper for school project is on the list along with file tax assessment and make bank deposit. In fact, when I feel very busy and that I may overlook an important person, I make it a point to put one item on the list for each person in the family. If someone doesn't have an immediate need, then I ask if there's something they want on the list (can be fun!)

My list for today? Send get well card to S.; drop off coffee mugs to St Johns; wrap baby blanket (gift); p/u diapers and breakfast for C.; make snacks for girls' bookclub; make brownies and drinks for crop; get babysitter for Sunday. Not 10 things yet, but probably by the morning. And I feel like I can get these things done because its only 10 and I've got all day!

Try it, let me know how it works for you. Happy Friday!