Top 10 Tips on Managing and Organizing My Family Life

By far, my family is my crowning accomplishment in life. But of course, this is easier said now that my children are leaving home than when they were in diapers. When you’re up to your elbows in spilled juice and spit-up, it’s a little hard to see your efforts as anything successful. Through years of trial and error as a busy mom of three, I did manage to pick up a few helpful tips to keep the chaos at bay and make all our live a bit simpler. Here are my top 10 tips I’ve gleaned over the years for organizing our family’s busy lives:

1: Check the weather forecast each night and plan my kid’s (and my) clothes for the next day accordingly.

2: Set out a choice of two weather appropriate outfits for each child. This gives them a say in what they wear while still giving you ultimate control over it.

3: Pack lunches in the evening. Definitely a time saver.

4: Wash all dishes and wipe down the countertops and stove each night after dinner. This gives me a sparkling clean start to breakfast each day.

5: Do a 10-minute clean up at the end of each day. Start the kids early on good organizing habits – have them participate!

6: Set my alarm 30 minutes earlier than I need to. This gives me a relaxing non-rushed start to my day. This one simple step has the power to set the tone for my entire day!

7: Throw a load of laundry into the washer in the morning. I’m less likely to be in the mood for laundry in the evenings after work, but if I know there is a wet load in the washer, I won’t procrastinate putting it in the dryer.

8: Plan your departure time for five to ten minutes earlier than needed. You’ll almost always be glad you did.

9: Do a homework assessment on the way home from school, or when you get home, to know what assignments are due and when. Mark them on your calendar.

10: Have an assigned drop zone for backpacks, coats and shoes so they are easily found in the morning.

What family organizing tips work in your home?

Disclosure: This post is part of a blogging contest from the TwitterMoms community (http://www.twittermoms.com/). There is a chance this post could be randomly selected to win a $50 Target GiftCard, so wish me luck! For more details, you can view the contest page here (http://icomp.ly/IconApps).