A Perfect Year Area #2: A Home.

1.  Clear the clutter.  Begin with YOUR bedroom.  Then bathrooms.  Front room.  Kitchen.  Dining room.  Guest room.  Children's rooms.  Hall closets.  Front Door area and porch.  Garage.  Backyard and patio.

Try to finish in just one week.  If you can't, that's okay!  Just begin!  Make a plan.  It can be interchangeable.  Get some bags/boxes and put them into a closet and every item to be donated goes in. 

If you need inspiration, I've got it!  Read my posts on organization.

2.  Create a serene area to read, pray and encourage yourself.  It will have your prayers and your plans. 

3.  Do not subscribe to magazines.  They create discontent.  Instead, go to many different libraries over the year and check out books on decluttering, organizing, and making a house a home.  648.5 is the section in every library.  When you find pictures you like that are doable, snap a picture for inspiration.  But they must be doable - clean, clear, cozy spaces - not unaffordable additions.  And limit your internet time or pinterest time.  I had to not go there.

4.  Calendar your life - and try to "slow it down".   Take this year's calendar and transfer recurring items to the new year - on a PAPER calendar - the whole family must be able to see this calendar.  For me, all Mondays have a pink "-" in the middle, meaning don't schedule anything.  Mondays I stay home and clean (plus I homeschool every day).  On Tuesdays after school we visit family.  Thursdays we have park days and playdates.  Fridays consist of errands or visiting (all after school of course).

Each month I also have in the notes section who I should send cards to.  Some months have items such as these:  Pay taxes, income and property.  Buy socks.  Special library event.  Change a/c filter.  Phone charges may go up - try to renegotiate.  Annual curriculum sale.  Annual sale at store.  Go to special water park.  Phone minutes expire.  VBS begins.  Grandparents Day.  File homeschool affidavit.  Buy new calendar.  Living Nativity Pageant. 

This is how I remember everything.  I write it all down and transfer it from year to year.  (In my purse I keep a tiny notebook with restaurant food choices we liked/didn't like, items to remember, shoe sizes, where a store is located, etc.)   Another post on how to keep several calendars is here.

5.  Protect your sanity - create margin in your life and calendar.  It is RARE for me to do anything on a Monday.  I need that day at home.  It keeps me sane and on top of things.  It sets the tone of my whole week.  This past year we began school in early August so we could build more margin into a year.  A week off in October which is so busy with birthdays.  Five weeks off for Dec and January to have fun and not get stressed.  And a week off every six to eight weeks for the rest of the year so we don't get burned out on school and life.  How will you build margin into your life?