Helpful Household Tip # 1

Apparently a birthday isn't all I have in common with Martha Stewart. According to a couple of my friends, I am one organized woman. And it's true. You know those "get to know you emails" that you see every so often? I received one the other day. One of the questions was, "What do you usually eat for breakfast?" My answer was, "Mondays: toast; Tuesdays: instant oatmeal; Wednesdays: english muffin; Thursday: yogurt; Friday: banana bread; Saturday and Sundays: sugary cereal!" You think I'm kidding. That's right; I even plan my breakfasts. Why? Because it's easier than having to think about at 5:45 in the morning.

While I don't advocate this level of organization for every person, I thought I'd share some of the things that I do to help keep my house organized.

Today's tip: The Chore Calendar.
I use a free one sent to us from a realtor, but any yearly calendar will work. I like using the yearly calendar rather than just a weekly calendar because I can use it for the everyday things as well as the not-everyday things. For example: the batteries in the smoke detectors. I know we changed them when we moved into the house in June, so I wrote on the calendar, at a date six months later, that they'll need to be changed again. Also, the air filters. They need to be changed every three months, so I mark down those dates as well. And what about turning those mattresses? If I only had a weekly calendar, special projects like these would never be accomplished simply because I'd forget them. The monthly calendar also lets me keep up with chores that are done monthly. These monthly jobs include: laundering the towels, vacuuming the couches and books on shelves (they get really dusty if I don't), cleaning the cars, and washing the inside of the washing machine (my machine has a cycle specifically for this).

The extra mile: I used to color code who did what by varying the color of the pen I used to write on the calendar. Chuck's jobs (trash, bathrooms, and some special tasks) were written in blue while mine were in pink. However, it only works if your husband actually looks at the chart, so I stopped doing this. Instead I just tell him that he has a chore to do and usually he'll do it.

Helpful or no?