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Taming the Chaos ~ Let Freedom Ring

Posted 12:15 AM, Jun. 30, 2009
I remember watching a disorganized individual finally "see the light" of organization after his ministry paid professional organizers to help everyone on staff. They overhauled his office, discussed scheduling, and explained the principles of an organized life to him, and he suddenly "got it". Oh, he remained delightfully spontaneous and laid-back, and his office continued to have a top-layer of free-spirited clutter about it, but beneath the clutter a structure began to form. He was startled to realize that the structures he had always assumed would limit and bind him could actually be freeing.
 
Over and over this man exclaimed his new-found mantra, "Organization creates freedom!" If organization isn't creating freedom, it isn't doing its job. This man discovered that he could live and serve in his spontaneous style even better when he wasn't wasting time scrambling for lost items or rescheduling missed appointments.
 
I think the organizational planner who "trained" in solid habits was effective because she tailored her organizational methods to the client instead of trying to fit the client into a one-size-fits all method. She provided different suggestions to the super-organized "Type-A" individuals on staff than she did to more the scattered, free-spirited types.

Organization does create freedom! If instead of freeing it binds, chokes and gags, then it needs altering. The answer isn't to avoid all structure entirely, but rather to tweak it until you have that custom fit.

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.


Taming the Chaos ~ A Dad's Eye View

Posted 12:00 AM, Jun. 16, 2009
With Father's Day approaching I asked my husband for a "Dad's eye view" of the benefits of an organized home. 
 
Here's his "top five":
  • Safety and Sanity: It is so much better than tripping over toys.
  • Economy: We save money by being good stewards;  In disorganization things get lost and broken.
  • Consistency and Uniformity: It's nice to know what I'll find when I get home. (This is probably his number 1)
  • Relaxation: Life is less stressful without scrambling.  A routine "a place for everything" makes it easier 
  • Flexibility: We can get children ready for an outing or the house ready for guests without a mad rush.
I then bravely inquired whether he sees more positives or negatives--is it worth sometimes having something "organized" right out from under him? His answer was a resounding, "Yes."

Disclaimer: Your husband isn't mine (at least he'd better not be!), so your man may have a different perspective on Chaos Taming than Ken does. Find a balance that fits the whole family and that promotes a relaxing and homey atmosphere for both of you. 


Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.


Taming the Chaos ~ Keep it or Toss it: Part Two

Posted 1:32 AM, Jun. 9, 2009
This week the Front Porch theme is, "What to Toss", and here in Taming the Chaos I'm continuing last week's article

When deciding whether to keep or toss something, I run it through a sieve of questions:
  • When did I last use it?
  • When will I next use it?
  • Does it make our family more effective or less; energize us or tire us? 
  • Does looking at it make me smile or make me weary?
  • For whom am I keeping it?/ Is it serving their purpose for me to do so?
  • Is it a duplicate?
  • Is it replaceable?
  • What is it costing to keep it?/Is it paying its rent?
  • What is the worst case scenario if it disappeared permanently from my life?
When did I last use it?  If you haven’t worn a dress in the past 2 years, are you really going to lose the weight to get back into it?  When it does come back in style will it still look fresh to you? Would your closet space be better served by making room for things you are sure to have use for and later replacing it later if/when it would be of use?  
 
When will I next use it? Buying ahead or saving for the future is great, but if your oldest is a toddler, then it might not be space effective to save your old trigometry text for him to “grow into.” 

Does it make our family more effective or less; energize us or tire us?  If you are using that exercise machine and enjoying better health and energized workouts, by all means keep it!   If it primarily serves as a a coat hanger and guilt inducer, then give it away.   Of course, you'll be right back to exercising after _______ (you get over this cold, you finish school for the summer, VBS week chaos is over...)  If you really think you'll use it again, give yourself a deadline.  Write "Use 20 times by August" on a scrap paper and tape it to the handle bars to encourage yourself to "use it or lose it."  Add a tally mark each time it is used.  If in August a lack of tally marks confirms it contributes more to guilt than to fitness; give it away. 

Does looking at it make me smile or make me weary? This is an important exception to the "Use it or Lose It" rule.  If it makes you smile every time you glance that way, put it on the keeper list.  Perhaps you don't play the guitar taking up space in the closet, but it was your dad's and the memory of his melodies still linger on its strings.   By all means, keep it!  (Although consider getting it out of the closet and displaying it where it can bring those smiles instead of being reduced to clutter.) 

On the other hand, if all those old boxes of baseball cards no longer bring you joy,  but fatigue and guilt as you think about the work of sorting them, don't let them contribute to clutter and drain your energy.     

For whom am I keeping it?/ Is it serving their purpose for me to do so?  Often we save things on someone else’s behalf. This can be an excellent motive, but is often misplaced. Evaluate who you are saving it for and why:
 
If great-grandpa’s taxidermy collection or grandma’s crocheted toilet paper cover make you cringe each time you dust, they aren’t contributing to fond memories of the individual. Do you have other, more meaningful reminders of that person?  Keep only those things really add richness--would that person want to be remember by something you consider tacky?.  (A sidenote here: It is always a good idea to take pictures of any mementos before passing them along.) 

If you are saving things for your children, talk to them about the items now so that they will have a connection.  Write down why you have saved certain treasures.  A scrapbook of photos of family heirlooms and and the stories behind them would be a blessing to inherit and lend meaning and a heritage to the objects.   I recently put little notes on the back of a few pictures, inside vintage books and on the back of an heirloom plate to keep the history of these items alive.
 
Parting with a gift can also be difficult. Evaluate honestly whether the giver would want you to keep the item once it was no longer useful to you. In some cases, yes, the giver would be hurt, and that is something you can factor in. In other cases the gift was purchased to bring pleasure for a time, and the giver would not want it to overstay its welcome. 

Is it a duplicate?
Sometimes it pays to have duplicates.  Honestly evaluate whether each stockpile is practical.  Sometimes it can be more cumbersome than convenience and more waste than thrift.
 
Is it replaceable? Sometimes I shake my head at the things I’ll try to save. Saving a couple of paper towel tubes may be handy for crafts, but because they are an easily renewable resource, there is no reason to save have bins full!  This goes along with “What is it costing to keep it?” If it is easier to replace than store, throw it away. Is the clutter it creates, and the likely hood of usefulness worth risking the replacement cost? 
 
What is it costing to keep it? I firmly believe that things are tools to serve us, and we are misprioritizing if the tables get turned and we become servants to “stuff”. Things take up time, space and mental energy–many things give back enough to justify this investment and thus pay their rent–some in usefulness, some in aesthetic pleasure, some through memories and associations. Does the item give back enough to merit the space it is taking in your home? 

I know a lady who has divided her mortgage by square inch and actually places a mental monetary amount to every inch of space. An uncluttered room gives rest to the eye, peace to the mind and takes less time to clean; An uncluttered house is quicker to organize, easier to maintain and a joy to come home to. 

Finally, What is the worst case scenario? If you never saw the item again, would you really miss it?  Don’t be too Spartan and throw away things that you’ll always regret sacrificing.  Think about how you'll feel in a few weeks when the trash truck has come and gone.  Will you have a sense of accomplishment and relief as you rest your eye on a clutter free home and enjoy your streamlined environment, or will you have regrets?  Are the regrets likely to be fleeting and trivial or deep and lasting?  Don't be hasty or foolish and toss aside blessing that needful or precious, yet hold on loosely to the things of this world.  

And, as a bit of a Post Script (only loosely related to today's Chaos post); This blog entry by my friend Cathe is an example of keeping things that are practical and useful, and how organization and efficient storage prevents waste.
 
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  (Matthew 6:19-21)

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.


Taming the Chaos ~ Keep it or Toss it: Part one (A preview)

Posted 11:43 PM, Jun. 2, 2009
This week on The Company Porch we are talking about what to keep; a perfect "Taming the Chaos" topic.  Julie gave her take on what books are shelf worthy in her column on Classical Education.  Taneil has great tips about what craft supplies to keep in stock in her Crafting Corner, and I love Tia's idea of dedicated binders for samples of each child's drawings and stories through the years. 

I have a list of questions etched on my brain that I try to apply when determining what to keep.  I'll expound on each one next week, but for now, I'll keep it simple by just listing the questions.  Some of them overlap.  Ironically I couldn't bring myself to "declutter" my list as even where the questions overlap, each brings an element to the "keep or toss" dilemma.

 

  • When did I last use it?
  • When will I next use it?
  • Does it make our family more effective or less; energize us or tire us? 
  • Does looking at it make me smile or make me weary?
  • For whom am I keeping it?/ Is it serving their purpose for me to do so?
  • Is it a duplicate?
  • Is it replaceable?
  • What is it costing to keep it?/Is it paying its rent?
  • What is the worst case scenario if it disappeared permanently from my life?



Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming the Chaos ~ Taming the End of Term Chaos

Posted 12:31 AM, May. 27, 2009
The theme on The Front Porch this week is “The End of School”. I’m sure that in most homes the learning never ends, but at some point we all pause to take a breath from formal schoolishness. Taking a bit of time to organize and evaluate as you finish a term will make it far easier to dive back in when the time comes to get back to the books. With a little planning you'll get excited about the “upcoming attractions” in teaching your children–that excitement will be contagious.
 
Make sure you are up on homeschool laws in your state and have portfolios pulled together, testing administered, or notifications ready to submit if such requirements apply. Once the outside requirements are met, you can focus on the planning that will be most helpful for your own needs.
 
I like to have a couple favorite curriculum catalogs in my summer tote to read while waiting for the children at lessons or relaxing at the park. Consider gathering a note-pad, pen and catalogs to make use of little moments through the summer. Throw in a book that motivates you and reminds you why you began--and continue home education. (My totebag will include R.C. Sproul Jr's When You Rise Up and Karen Andreola's Pocketfull of Pinecones. What books refresh your dreams and remind you to not grow weary?)   
 
Summer is a great time to flip through next terms’ teacher’s manuals and familiarize yourself with things to come. Between semesters I also like to evaluate how things are working and what needs changing.  Mentally, I run through a list for each child in every subject (including non-academic areas such as life skills and character training) and determine where we need to focus, encourage, enrich in the coming weeks and months.
 
Don’t forget to evaluate the schedule and chore distribution as well and plan some fun for the whole family! Plan ways to spend time through the year letting each child know you delight in them–on a daily basis in small ways and in occasional special larger ways as well.
 
Have a great summer, and have fun while taming the chaos!

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.


Taming the Chaos ~ Rediscovering Hanging File Folders

Posted 1:09 AM, May. 19, 2009





A musician friend recently shared some of her tips with me, including her system for organizing sheet music. It delighted me because it is so simple, inexpensive, and tidy, utilizing hanging file containers which can be purchased inexpensively at Target, Walmart, or any office supply store! 
 
Sheet music can be such varied sizes, from books of 100 pages to single sheets, and this accommodates all of them inexpensively, accessibly, and without fuss. With several children taking music lessons, our piano bench storage is no longer sufficient, and a file box or two is in order! 
 
I also use hanging files to organize our school week. Hand-outs for each child, and even slender teacher’s manuals fit easily into labeled compartments. Somehow I hadn’t thought of the full range of items that could be organized so readily. It would be a great organizational system for magazines or pamphlets or even those slim preschool read-aloud books that don’t have a wide enough spine to distinguish them on the bookshelf.

If plain boxes are too utilitarian for your decor, there are a variety of decorator solutions.  I have a couple of leather hanging-file totes and have seen cloth covered hanging file totes in exciting prints!
 

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.


Taming the Testing Chaos with Planning, Perspective and Pencils

Posted 12:20 AM, May. 12, 2009

This week is testing week on the Front Porch!  Testing is a hot topic among homescholers and there are many perspectives on whether to do it as well as when, where, how, and why.

 

If you decide to test, a little preparation can ensure that it is a positive experience for both the parent and the students.

 

I found a nice article about testing preparedness, and while it is a  bit general, it provides useful tips and is geared toward homeschoolers. 

 

Overall, I think the key to approaching tests is in perspective–if you view them as a game and a tool, you and the children will be relaxed and even excited at the prospect. 

 

Approach tests as a fun game and the scores as interesting and potentially useful trivia. With this perspective you’ll be less likely to over-rate them emotionally, either before, during, or even after the test (when you receive the results). 

 

A child who views it as a game won’t be devastated to find out their scores are lower than hoped, and they won’t feel like know-it-alls should they score well.  They’ll respond to it as an interesting tidbit amid the grander scheme of life.  Of course, you wouldn’t even have to tell the children their scores, and some advise against it. As a parent, you know your child, and whether they are able to keep a balanced view of the big picture.            

What else can you do to tame the testing chaos?  Planning a fun activity when tests are completed is a great testing-week perk!  Some moms I know have dad test while they take any toddlers on an outing to keep distractions to a minimum.  Check your stash of number two pencils, have sharpeners and erasers handy, and ensure your child is well rested the night before.


Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming the Chaos ~ Recording Motherly Memories

Posted 10:06 PM, May. 4, 2009
If your memory is like mine, it is a chaos in need of much taming!  Memories can be so fleeting, yet so precious.  Like anything else, a bit of planning and organization can tame the chaos and make those memories more accessible and enjoyable for you and for others!

Chautona, over at Paradoxology talks about the importance of capturing memories, and encourages us to preserve them through a journal, blog, scrapbook or in letters to your parents or children.  Record those treasured memories, and share them with others. 

God's blessings are abundant, if we only look!  

Visit Paradoxology to read Chautona's delightful take on Memories as Unwrapped Treasures!  Mother's Day is a wonderful time to begin wrapping those memories for your parents or for your children.

 


Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming the Chaos ~ Field Trips: Keeping Together

Posted 11:06 PM, Apr. 27, 2009




One of the main goals of organization is preventing things from becoming misplaced. For field-trips (or even large family outings), ensuring that no one gets lost in the crowds can be paramount.

Digital cameras, cell phones, designated rendezvous places, identifiable clothing, and a buddy system can all help to keep a group together.

 
As soon as you arrive at the site, have someone take a digital picture of the entire group. Not only will it be a great memento of the tour or excursion, but if someone is lost, you have a picture right on the camera screen that can help identify the missing child and the clothing they are wearing on that particular day.


Cell phones are becoming more and more prevalent and can be a great tool for keeping in touch if part of the group breaks off from the others. At the onset, have everyone carrying cell phones exchange phone numbers, or give everyone the cell phone number of a leader.


Establishing a central rendezvous spot can be helpful as well. Telling everyone at the onset, "If you are lost, we will meet at the waterfall by the front gate" can provide peace of mind.


Identifiable clothing can be a great tool to facilitate head-counting in a crowd.  On a recent excursion to the zoo, my eyes quickly became trained to scan for boys in neon green striped shirts, and girls in hot pink with neon green polkadots. Because it was just a family outing, we could tailor to be especially distinctive.  For a homeschool co-op consider issuing bright, matching t-shirts to everyone. The "uniform" shirts can be paired with denim to allow individuality while maintaining continuity. (Girls can pair them with jeans, jumpers or denim skirts, or even capris. Boys can choose shorts or jeans in a variety of styles.)

Finally, almost everyone is familiar with the buddy system.  Pair everyone up with a "buddy" at the beginning of the outing, and have each person keep track of their partner at all times.  I like the buddy system best when used in combination with several of the other strategies, as in a busy crowd sometimes two friends (or siblings) can be as easy to lose as one.

Field trips are fun:  Prevent chaos by keeping everyone together. 



Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming the Chaos ~ Taming Weeds

Posted 1:26 AM, Apr. 21, 2009




I’m excited! For the first time ever I’m going to attempt a vegetable garden. Our growing season is short on Wyoming’s windswept plain, and in past years I’ve felt too busy with growing babies inside to grow produce outside. This year I’m finally at a stage where I’m ready for some dirt digging family adventure.

Because I’m into taming chaos, exercising dominion, and imposing order on things, I want to go about gardening in an organized way. And, as usual, I decided to do a little research first because research can be done from the comfort of my chair, without dirtying my hands or getting blisters. I’ll get to the dirt and blisters soon enough.

In researching gardening styles, the most organized, efficient, flexible system I found is the Square Foot Gardening method.

I love the tidy squares, and the efficiency of being able to grow so much in a small area. As the book mentions, "Square foot gardening... sets forth definite limits or boundaries within which you will garden. It limits the amount of space, and thereby time, you will devote to each vegetable, chore and step in the garden." Indeed we need limits–limits free us, and some structure actually increases, rather than hinders creativity. (Structure in poetry is a lovely example of this.)

We are starting small, and the square foot method appeals in flexibility.  We can easily add on squares each year as our helpers (a.k.a. children) grow, and our confidence increases.

Here’s a great link to Robin  Sampson (of Heart of Wisdom’s homeschool fame). She shows her square foot garden and gives a more experienced review of the method than I’m qualified to provide. (She’s actually done it–I’m just planning to.)

Here's a link to squarefootgardening.com

Here's a link to All New Square Foot Gardening on Amazon.com:

Tame the earth and subdue it, create order from weedy chaos, and enjoy the garden this summer! I’d heartily recommend Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. 
 

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.

 



Taming the Chaos ~ Preparation and Planning for Conventions and Book Fairs

Posted 12:05 AM, Apr. 14, 2009

This week on the Front Porch, the theme is Conventions and Book Fairs!  I've never attended one (though I hope to some day!) and so rather than babble on about things I don't understand (like I usually do) I'll link!

Kim, over at Trust Joyfully, just blogged about this topic a week ago!  Her post  is prayerful, helpful and thoughtful. 

And there's an article over at Sucessful Homeschooling that gives some good advice too.  I especially love this suggestion, "Print a sheet of return address labels for ease in filling out vendor mailing lists.".  Sucessful Homeschooling has a link to a free printable checklist that may prove useful as well! 

It doesn't look like I"ll make it to a curriculum fair or convention this year, but I'm tucking away some ideas, because I'm plotting to zip off to a convention some year soon!


Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming The Chaos ~ Chaos Taming Notebook

Posted 2:08 AM, Mar. 31, 2009
 



The theme here on the Front Porch this week is notebooks and nature journals. A Chaos Tamer’s Notebook might not be as enchanting a topic as a notebook filled with drawings of flora and fauna, but it might just help you keep things together enough to afford time for that nature walk you’ve postponed!

I don’t do well with other people’s systems. Perhaps it is inflexibility on my part, or some manner of pride, or perhaps my brain is just too quirky to fit the mold. Whatever the reason, I can’t seem to cram my thoughts or my life into a Day Timer, Planner, or anything with preformatted sheets. For me, less is more!

My friend Melissa is a genius.  When I saw her simple notebook idea, I was thrilled by the simple, no fuss simplicity, the ease of implementation, and the ability of a simple tool to help me organize my world!

Here’s the idea:

  • Buy a little notebook. Not too huge, you’ll want it to be portable, and be able to toss it in your purse or tote bag. I didn’t want mine to be fancy or expensive like a "blank book" with a beautiful suede cover. I did happen to find one that had a pretty design on the sturdy cardboard cover, but the purpose here is functionality. Choose a notebook you can use and abuse.
  • Next you’ll want to write in your notebook! The primary function of my notebook is as a running "To Do" list.  When a page is filled or most the tasks are crossed off, I just tear it out, throw it away, and start a new page! The first page of my notebook is always changing. Any time I want a fresh start, I copy the remaining items to a new page and voila, all fresh and clean! You might notice my "To Do" list is spelled strangely. That’s because it always seems there are "too" many items on it and they are all past "due". Strange spelling humor isn’t required. Melissa doesn’t even label her "To Do" list, she just lists it.
  • Between "To Do" or "Too Due" lists are note pages. Right now my note page contains the address to a piano recital and price comparison notes on purchases I was researching. (All on the same page, I just put my random notes on a page until it has served it’s purpose and the page is full, then tear it out when full or finished.)
  • I have a running shopping list on a page as well. (Labeled "Too Bye", as there is always "too" much and the money goes "bye-bye".) Like the "Too Due" list, I keep adding to the page and crossing off until the page is full, or most the items are purchased. When the page has run its course, I transfer any items not yet crossed off to a fresh sheet and tear out the old page. I can tear out the sheet to give it to my husband if he’s doing the errands that week too!


That’s it! The brilliance is that instead of having lists and notes everywhere, they are all localized in one handy location, not loose and scattered! I had a similar method back in my career days, and kept a notebook on my desk, took it to meetings, and jotted notes about clients as I spoke with them on the phone. When a page served its purpose, I’d tear it out.  Thank you, Melissa for reminding me of the simple efficiency and versatility of a spiral notebook!


Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming the Chaos ~ Taming the Stir-Crazy, Rainy-Day Wiggles

Posted 12:07 AM, Mar. 24, 2009

Ah, Rain! I love a rainy day. I like a nice moody sky, the pattern of water drops sliding down the window pane, candles burning cozily on the counter, and cookies in the oven! (I’m not as fond of muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor, or stir-crazy children.) I won’t give suggestions about the muddy paw prints–I’ve yet to find a solution that’s less work than simply mopping them up. Instead I’ll share my simple solution for promoting domestic tranquility when the small folk get stir-crazy.

I’ve found that getting the children, some solid exercise each day is a sanity saver. Without a little bit of physical exertion, a cozy afternoon together can be spoiled by stormy attitudes and rainy countenances.

One huge blessing here, not only on rainy days, but in the long dark days of winter, is a mini tramp. My in-laws found a wonderful little trampoline with legs that screw off so we can slide it under the couch when not in use. The children enjoy taking turns bouncing, each turn lasting until the bouncer is too out-of-breath to continue.

For the active child, some designated wiggle time is almost a must, but even my book-worms have better attitudes when they’ve gotten a little bit of active play each day.

Chinese jump-rope or indoor hopscotch can also provide giggles while utilizing those wiggles. After some time spent in active games, they are better ready to settle into cozy rainy day read-alouds, or a laundry folding party.

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming the Chaos ~ Spring Cleaning: Books to Inspire!

Posted 11:03 PM, Mar. 16, 2009

Spring is here, and it is our theme her on The Front Porch this week!

Have you started your
spring fling that I wrote about a few weeks back? I’ve not been as good at flinging as I should be, so that's my own focus for the week.

If you are done with your spring fling, dive into spring cleaning!   My best advice on this is, "Just do it." Sure, there are methods, some better than others, but essentially whatever it takes for you to get it done is a good system!

Sometimes though, the method makes all the difference–especially when we need to get geared up and motivated. I personally enjoy a modified version of Jeff Campbell’s Speed Cleaning. It is a great book for streamlining and speeding up your cleaning routine, taken from studying the methods of professional cleaning services.

Another book that inspires me that is more about "why" than how (and not strictly about cleaning, but about the many facets of homemaking) is Where's Mom?: The High Calling of Wives and Mothers by Dorthy Kelley Patterson. Here’s one quote that Jumped out at me:


"Homemaking--if pursued with energy, imagination, and skills--has much challenge and opportunity, success, failure, growth and expansion, perks and incentives as any corporation, plus something no other position offers--working for people you love most and want to please the most!"  

Where's Mom? by Dorothy Kelley Patterson

We all have different things we enjoy, and different things that seem drudgerous, but much of homemaking has a nearly infinite creative potential--even cleaning!   Tame the chaos and clean the windows this week: Your outlook will be clearer! 


Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.



Taming the Chaos ~ Saving Time: How, and Why?

Posted 11:47 PM, Mar. 9, 2009

As Tia mentioned yesterday, our theme on the Front Porch this week is Saving Time. (Inspired by daylight saving time!) I trust your clocks are all changed, and your beginning to acclimate! I’ll give a few of my favorite time saving tips at the end of this post, but first, I’d like to evaluate why we save time.

Today’s culture is rushed and hurried, and sometimes we just assume we must save time, but we don’t stop to define what we are saving it toward. Just as with saving money, working toward a concrete goal increases our motivation to save! Perhaps financially you are saving for a new curriculum, freedom from debt, or for a family vacation. Knowing that financial goal helps keep you on target! Time, likewise can be budgeted to invest in your dreams.

What will you do with the time that you save? Ponder it through the day to come up with some solid answers, then strive to keep those goals at the forefront of your mind as you seek to streamline your work. Efficiency is excellent, but it shouldn’t be an end unto itself.

Time and money are tools and gifts. If my husband is given a power saw, he wouldn’t put it in a glass display case, only getting it out to oil the parts on occasion. No, he would put it to use! It won’t stay as nice and shiny on his cluttered, greasy workbench as if he "saved" it away, but a tool is made to be used.

I’m reminded of the biblical parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:12-28). The lazy servant who simply buried the talent entrusted to him was chastised, while the two who invested and earned interest were rewarded. Saving time without investing that "savings" is like burying it in the ground.

When time is saved without a purposeful plan for investing those savings, it can lead to both sloth and detachment. There is something rich and fulfilling about doing things in a way that is thorough. When we take short cuts, we can miss out on a depth of experience–often the trade-off is worthwhile, but we should take time to consider the cost. Saving time without a worthy goal can rob us of riches instead of increasing our wealth.

I’m not discouraging time-saving; quite the contrary! The key is living intentionally: Knowing our priorities and investing time accordingly–saving time in certain areas to afford more in those of greater importance, and ensuring that the time saved is invested in something of greater worth than the activity from which we cut "expenses".

Necessity is, they say, the mother of invention. By defining a goal, you are creating a "necessity", and if it is an important enough goal, you’ll find ways to fulfill it. A nebulous desire to simply "save time" won’t really inspire you to come up with creative solutions. If, however, you typically spend a full Friday cleaning, but would like to make Friday afternoon be "park day", you’ll have concrete motivation to find ways to speed up your cleaning routines.

Perhaps you’d like time to read aloud to the children, but dinner preparation takes too long in the late afternoon and early evenings. The desire to spend time snuggling on the couch together with a book can help motivate you as you find ways to cook ahead, prepare crock pots in the morning, or freezer meals in larger batches.

Speaking of making things in larger batches brings me to a few of my own favorite time saving tips (I’ll use meal preparation ideas in the examples, but the principles can be applied to a variety of tasks):

  • Do things assembly line style: Instead of browning 1 pound of ground beef, brown 5 or 10 at once. You’ll save time by only cleaning the grease off the stove-top once.  Freeze the extra in meal size bags in the freezer to use out as needed.
  • Invest time when you have it: Just as we experience economic changes, our time "budget" can fluctuate. My health is unpredictable, so I’ve learned to cook ahead, shop ahead and plan ahead in the times of plenty to help out in the times when time (or energy) are lean.
  • Evaluate your routines. Often we do extra steps simply because we were taught "that’s how it is done." Do you need to brown the roast before cooking? I do think it gives a richer flavor, but it isn’t essential. This is an example of weighing priorities. Sometimes quality trumps efficiency, but sometimes we just need to get food into hungry mouths amid a busy day. Try skipping the browning step and see if you find the extra time worthwhile. Be bold and try skipping the optional. You might like it better with the skipped steps. (My family prefers their mashed potatoes with the skins mashed in right along with the potato! It saves me peeling time, and is more nutritious as well.)

Since I brought up the subject of time-saving and potatoes, here’s a you-tube video that gives another way to save time when peeling those ‘taters! (If you bother to peel them at all.) 

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five,
 
Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.

 



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    The title of this blog, "Company Porch," is credited to Jay Ryan ... thanks, Jay!