USE EXCEL TO EXCEL!
The
products in the pantry and the laundry room get used up quickly. You’ve
got to have a system to note when a purchase needs to be made. A
well-stocked pantry is one way to express how much you value yourself,
your family, your time, your energy, and your finances. There is
something comforting about knowing that what you need is at your
fingertips. Once your baby arrives, this is critical. Gone are the days
when you could fly to the store at will for one or two items. What if
your spouse or a friend can’t respond immediately to bring some items
you need desperately? It’s time to streamline, stock up, and stay
organized.
The easiest way to accomplish
this goal is to have a list and post it where it can be instantly
accessed. I like to keep my master list in a drawer next to the
refrigerator. It’s always there with a pencil so I can make notes
throughout the day. Some people like to post the list on the
refrigerator. Placement isn’t as important as consistency (if the list
starts moving around the room or home, it will be abandoned in short
order). Create your master list in Excel and you’ll be able to tweak it
as needed and print out a fresh copy each week. There are several ways
to organize your products. Let’s consider a few.
If
you shop at several stores, list the items you purchase at each. When
you shop you won’t have to scan the list to see what you need at this
location. You did the work when you set up the master list.
Make
a master list that groups items by type. You’ll have all frozen items
in one section, for example, and you can check that section in every
store you shop in.
Take
this idea a step further: List the items you purchase in the order you
will encounter them in the store. Most of us take the same route
through a store each time we go. If you are a “wandering the aisles”
kind of shopper, I would suggest you consider a change. Wandering will
lead to more impulse buying.
If you
have a laptop, you can curl up in your favorite chair today and crank
out your list. If you put the words “shopping list” in your favorite
search engine, you’ll find lots of premade choices online. You can
copy, paste, and edit to your specifications. One of my favorites is at
www.grocerylists.org; they have a list for meat eaters and one for vegetarians.
CHORES TO THE RESCUE
Making
decisions is the heart and soul of getting organized. And maintenance
is the engine that keeps the organizing train on track. Remember, it
isn’t about adding work to your busy schedule; it’s about shifting your
energy to a different action. If you are organized in this arena and do
the shopping but your spouse is a bit lax, have a talk. A baby brings
sleepless nights, frayed tempers, and a need for lots of new products
in the home. Having a fight over food or diapers is wasted energy. If
you are the “fly by the seat of your pants” partner when it comes to
grocery shopping, it’s time to change. You may be surprised how
comforting a well-stocked pantry can be! And I know you’ll be grateful
for a cheery, well-organized, welcoming laundry room because you’re
going to be spending so much time there.
Remember
when I asked you to create new routines? Here are my top three ideas
for habits that will keep these rooms tidy. You can string them
together if you wish to create a personal ritual. After you read my
list, come up with three ideas of your own. You want to walk into an
organized room and leave it that way when you exit.
As
you finish work in an area, wipe it off to keep it clean as you go.
Having all the kitchen counters dirty at one time can be overwhelming;
wiping as you go keeps you in charge.
When
you open a package of multiple products—say, that six-pack of
sponges—don’t leave the torn wrap there looking like a gaping wound.
Put the products on the shelf. Recycle the cardboard and plastic wrap.
When you are stressed, calm shelves will positively influence you.
Open
containers of powder laundry detergent tend to spray their contents.
Over time the top of your dryer and the floor start to crunch and look
dirty. Wipe this area down after each use. Don’t think of these actions
as a pain in the neck. Think of them as a gift you give yourself (or
your spouse) the next time you need to work here.
FATHER SOMETIMES KNOWS BEST
I’d like
to close with a piece of advice I got from my father. My parents shared
home maintenance. My mother cleaned every square inch of our home with
precision and on schedule—it was her passion—while my dad did the
grocery shopping and the laundry. My mother cooked (I use the term
loosely) and put the laundry away. My father never embraced the idea
that chores were to be divided by considerations of male and female. He
said the most qualified person should do/get the job, whether it was in
the boardroom or the home. Those are truly words to live by.
Now
is an excellent time to have a talk about chores with your partner. How
the work in the home is divided sends early messages to your child
about gender equality and how a home is run. If Mom and Dad are both
keeping the home tidy, it will be a natural transition for Junior to
participate. We women have wonderful nesting/nurturing instincts. We
want to care for those we love. Sometimes that very natural desire
causes us to take on the entire task of maintaining the home. We turn
ourselves into housekeepers and nannies. We infantilize our children
and our partners. Don’t set yourself up now to feel taken advantage of
down the road.
As your child grows
and wants to be a big boy or girl, don’t forget that maintenance of the
pantry and the laundry room present great chores!
