Thursday, June 18, 2015

In a house this small organization is key...

Organization is key and also necessary, in this house affordability is also extremely important. The 7 of us live in a 3 bedroom 1 bath ranch style home. Our family consists of my husband and I (bedroom 1) our 4 year old daughter, special needs and unable to share a bedroom (bedroom 2) 2 son's ages 6 and 1 (basement makeshift bedroom) infant daughter (bedroom 3) doubles as their play room and Aunt (my sister-basement makeshift bedroom 2) 
Our 2 oldest are in school, and only 1 is out of diapers, yikes!  We needed space for school papers, calendars, clothes, shoes, backpacks you name it! As I previously stated our 4 year old daughter is special needs which means she needs a calendar all to herself, doctors appointments, therapy, school, surgeries, procedures, oh my! 
Here is how we make an effort to remember everything and get to all their activities 5 minutes late... 


Number 1 rule: come to an understanding that you WILL forget something at some point, it may be big it may be something only you notice but it will happen-so own it, forgive yourself and then reschedule (if you can) I take time to pray over our calendars, I trust that appointments will fall where they need to and if something doesn't get scheduled there is a reason for it.


I found these stick-on calendars on clearance at Menard's. Our family calendar ran out of room with all the names we've been adding so now we have a calendar for each kid! I had hoped to get them all in one spot but this was as best as I could do.


Pinterest enthusiast! I made these out of scrapbook paper and picture frames. We use them for weekly school activities or important notes for each child. 


I love thirty-one, when I can get a good deal that is. 


I purchased these 4 folder snap hanging things when they were on sale for $5 and embroidery was 1/2 off! Anything paper goes here so I can review it and then take care of it.


Our small house leaves us no specific out of the way area for book bags, shoes, etc so we put it on the back door before heading to the basement. Bonus the kids can reach it, grab it and put it back themselves! 


Another issue we have is small bedrooms, our laundry is in the basement so we've set up dressers and a closet for everybody by the washer and dryer. Each night the kids grab their clothes and shoes and put their "ready for tomorrow" items in their specified bins. At night they put in dirty clothes, shoes, toys anything that goes back downstairs. 


We've done a ton of home improvements, the only regret I have is opening up the entire house! It's so popular these days and yes it's easier for moms to see the kids but man as soon as I walk in the front door I can see my dirty dishes, I am completely unable to hide anywhere and I can't put a baby gate up to keep them out off the kitchen while cooking. 
We are all living, breathing, playing and fighting in the same open area... when they are this small I think we need a bit of separation not to mention we don't have enough walls left to hang things on :) 

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