Are UFOs out of control in your home? If your house is like mine, perhaps sometimes you glimpse an Unidentified Flying Object out of the corner of your eye–some new motorized helicopter, paper airplane, or other airborne objects.

I won’t try to tell you how to rid your home of flying things. Instead, we will look at another kind of UFO: Un-Finished Objects.

Yes, those partially done cross-stitches lurking in the work-basket are UFOs. Perhaps you have a dress fabric cut out, but have yet to introduce the fabric to the sewing machine. Did you leave off spring cleaning with only half the windows washed? Is the new shelf, purchased for your laundry room, still sitting unopened in the depths of the coat closet?  

Perhaps some of your UFOs are homeschool related–I know I have all of  last quarter’s work to file in my children’s binders, and there is an art curriculum that sits on the shelf begging to be used.

Some UFOs are even relational. In my case, there’s a few friends I’ve been meaning to call or email, but fail to make the time.

This week, target a few specific UFOs to eradicate

I'll share my list for the week:

• File work and catch up on entering our last few weeks of school in Home School Tracker
• Write a letter to my friend.
• Sew up the petticoat that’s been cut for a year
• Do something with a bag of cherries in the freezer that has outlived its welcome
• Tackle the mending (the ominous mending)
• And, my fun UFO: Finish compiling our book inventory with  Library Thing

 

Go forth and eradicate some Un-Finished Objects!

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

Like most young children, three year old Keegan is fascinated with the passage of days.  He enjoys the rhythm of our  weekly routines, and is trying hard to keep it all straight.  Each morning he wakes asking, "What day is it?" "Is it Monday?  Do we go to the piano teacher?" or, "When is it Sunday to go to church?"  Even cleaning day (Friday) is exciting!     

Keegan and other wee folk are going to love the fantastic idea featured over at Tadpole Tales.  (Not to mention that the blog's froggy and tadpole theme is such fun!--I may be partial, being from PrairieFrog Academy, myself, but a site where Kermit is lauded as hero, and favorite dishes include "Fried Flies" earns a few extra points for sheer frogginess.) 

Her method is easy (I can do this!): A hand-drawn chart with the days of the week and pictures representing activities can be colored by the child.  Put it up on the refrigerator and let the child move a magnetic girl or boy to the appropriate day each morning!   A picture is worth a thousand words, so head over to Tadpole Tales to see the real thing! 

Simple brilliance!  I have some magnetic sticky-back-tape in the craft drawer just waiting for a great project like this.

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

We keep a spray bottle handy for smoothing the children's hair prior to combing.  In theory this spray bottle belongs in the cupboard by the children's bathroom.  In reality it is usually by the coffee pot, on my computer desk, near the mail sorting baskets, or on the bathroom counter.

The following scenario happened at the PrairieFrog home on Sunday morning:

Ken, "Where is that spray bottle? I've checked all the usual places..."

Me, sheepishly,  "Oh, I put it back where it belongs."

Ken (heading to the cupboard that is its theoretical home), "Wow! I never thought I'd find it there!"

Ahem...  It is time to change the mailing address, because obviously it doesn't really reside at the official residence.  

Moral of the story:  Vagabond items sometimes just need a home that is easier to go back to--a place that is convenient and consistent.  

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

 My camera is one of my favorite chaos taming tools. It is my time and memory saver, a troubleshooting device, and an easy reference for the children.

To save my memory, I take "before shots" when I’m removing items from an arrangement that I might want to recreate. I’ve used it to refill bookcases quickly after a move, or to put items back in the hutch after spring cleaning. Recently I displayed tea cups and saucers on the kitchen wall and took time to arrange the patterns just so. After tea parties with the children, I just glance at the picture, and put them back in the same places.

This month the camera’s been particularly useful in the troubleshooting department. A few weeks ago the baby crawled into the dog’s basket. Camera-happy mommy that I am, I had to take a picture of his adorable expression. The picture turned out beautifully, but I was horrified at how dirty the wall was behind the basket! Oil and dirt from our beloved pet had been collecting on the wall for months, but it took a photograph for me to notice.

I also decided to rearrange decorator plates in my kitchen after viewing them through the fresh eyes of the camera. Try it! Go through each room, photographing then gaze at the pictures. Often clutter spots or other needed improvements will jump out that aren’t as noticeable on a day-to-day basis.

In a previous Chaos article I’d mentioned pretending a realtor was coming to look at the home, or viewing each room through the eyes of a houseguest. The camera just provides one more way to step back and see things with perspective-giving distance.

Pictures are great tools for the youngest members of the household too. If printed on card stock or covered in contact paper, they help pre-readers put toys away in the appropriate bins.

Finally, if you struggle with clutter getting out of control, take pictures after a cleaning and straightening frenzy. Go back to your pictures and compare in a few weeks or months of deterioration. The pictures can help renew your vision for what your home can be!

Arm yourself with your camera, and shoot down chaos! 

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

 

Decorators say that bookshelves should have a significant amount of bookless space. Ideally, some of this space should be for objects d’art, while some should be empty.  Aesthetically, I agree with them. In a practical sense I struggle just to avoid double-shelving. (In all honesty, sometimes I struggle to avoid book piles stacked on the floor!).

Certainly interspersing decorator items and blank space gives rest to the eye. It breaks up the linear monotony of spine after spine of beloved tomes. But for a bibliophile like me, the idea sacrificing valuable bookshelves for dust collecting knickknacks is... unfathomable!

Can booklovers combine form and function? I gave it a stab this week. I squeezed another small bookcase into our living room, and needed a less bookish look; something just a shade more decorative and formal. The end result falls short of the Pottery Barn catalogs, but I’m pleased with it. Sturdy baskets blend with the shelves and minimize clutter. Grouping similar themes together gives cohesiveness, and a few horizontally stacked volumes provide linear variety.

Give your own bookshelves a face lift–homeschool style. Perhaps painting the backboard an eye-popping color will liven things up. Or maybe a less used serving bowl could mingle with the reference books. Please comment with links to your bookshelf facelifts to inspire us all!

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

 

There is far more to life than externals, but when I find myself in a slump on schooling, cooking, cleaning, or any other aspect of domesticity, a dress rehearsal can help me find my role again.

Putting on a cute apron and some fun gloves, I'm ready for a clean-a-thon! (Incidently, rubber gloves are coming up in the fashion world, I just bought a pair of these!)

Or I'll don the apron (sans gloves) and cook up a mega batch of something satisfying and delicious.

Extending the concept to my house, I imagine that if this is a dress rehersal, then my home is the "set". I locate some props and sweep up the stage. A new centerpiece, table runner, or flowers energizes the scene! Even a simple candle on a pretty doily inspires me, and I can’t help but perk up other areas of the house.

Style your hair, wink at yourself in the mirror, tuck a feather duster in your apron pocket (or a pencil behind your ear) and conquer the day!

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of five, Dell enjoys writing about home, heart, and hearth.

 

Each unique situation requires a different organizational system, and families have a variety of methods for keeping children’s wardrobes manageable.

Nearly a year ago I decided to try storing the boys’ clothes in "outfits" rather than mixing and matching--allowing for "grab and go" dressing of the baby, and increased self-sufficiency for the toddler. I’ve been delighted with the system all around. On laundry day, I simply pair the outfits together, and put one outfit in each cube. Keegan has his cubes along one wall of the closet, and Kieran along another. (Shelves, or drawers would also work, but cubes in the closet were economical and practical for us.)

Each morning, Keegan (now three) chooses his own outfit from the cubes. Kieran (who turns one year today!), is easily dressed by a groggy mommy, helpful big sister, or a busy daddy.

This method made shopping simple in the sense of knowing exactly how many outfits we need to have. I like to have about 8 weekday outfits. (In additon to the weekday wardrobe, hanging above each boy’s cubes are several dapper-dude outfits for Sunday or other special outings.)

The only drawback is that it does require purchasing more pairs of pants. Previously, I’d had Keegan re-wear pants a second day with a different shirt. Right now though, he’s at an age where he’d not re-wear often anyway, as he has a knack for finding mud and dirt! To minimize excess, I do try to keep the color scheme such that if a shirt wears out a "spare" pair of pants (stored in his dresser with the pajamas) would go with almost anything. For us, this means having all weekday shirts go with navy pants, khakis, or jeans.

(Stay tuned for girl's wardrobe organization.)

(Reality photography: Even as my tidy folding becomes Keeganized, they stay in outfits.)

Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of five, Dell enjoys writing about home, heart, and hearth.

 

I rarely feature products, as buying more stuff is usually not the best route to organization. Sometimes, however, there’s something worth sharing.

About a year ago, I discovered Tub Trugs. They are simple, flexible-sided, buckets--amazingly versatile and most wonderously durable! I was tired of trying to find containers that were sturdy enough for heavy playroom use, and these are perfect for children’s toys. (I also have a couple in the laundry room, and would love a set for the barn.)

At first, the price kept me away, but when I tried going cheaper routes, I found myself replacing containers over time. (In fact, the children’s rigid-sided stuffed animal bin--from the gardening section of a discount store--is brittle and breaking. I’m eager to replace it with the extra large Tub Trug, and wish I’d purchased it with my other Tub Trugs a year ago.)  In the year we've had them, they've passed the kid test, the mom test, and the test of time.

Fine Print: I’m not affiliated with the Tub Trug people. I don’t know anything about them other than the fact that they have neat Trugs.

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

There's a fabulous article over at Blissfully Domestic on closet organization.  Some of it deals with storage systems, which may or may not be what your closet needs.  (In my own closets, most "systems" would decrease flexibility and not help overall.)  But even if the closet systems aren't for you, the article is worthwhile, if only for this gem of a thought:

" The first step to getting more out of your closets is getting more out of your closet" 



CaraM continues, "Going through each one in the house, sort things in four piles: keep, sell, donate and toss. You might surprise yourself in how much space you can find just by removing things you never use. Once you've sorted things into the piles, decide if there is a better place to store some of the items than in the closet. "

Get more out of your closet by literally getting more OUT of that closet.   Link over to the article to read her other helpful suggestions!


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

While attending my nephew’s birthday party, I snuck down to my sister's schoolroom to take a peak at her clever touches.  (She has an amazing knack for creative fun!)   I begged permission to photograph her supply wall, and she said I could share it here with all you Chaos Tamers!


These darling pails corral glue, splay the pens, and keep things tidy, handy, and inviting all at the same time.

Although possibly counter-indicated in homes with limited wallspace or "stealth" schoolrooms that double as formal dining rooms or kitchens, they are perfect for a designated school area with a bit of unused wall.

A tip of the hat to my sister, for a cute storage idea. (And we had a wonderful time at the birthday party!)

 

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

Two areas that seem to be perpetually on my "chaos list" are the kitchen (because it is the hub of the home), and those pesky, chaos breeding, drawers.   

There is hope!   Just yesterday CarlaM at Blissfully Domestic posted a sensibly brilliant article on "Organizing your Kitchen so it is Functional for You."   Link on over to read it, then hop back here to get your drawers tamed!

Ok, now, about those drawers: Perhaps it is a drawer in your kitchen that needs organizing, or perhaps, like Crystal Paine of Biblical Womanhood, you need to get the children's dressers under control.  Regardless, choose a drawer and have at it! 

I really need to get the girl's hair accessory drawer in order again, but I think I'll be cowardly and tackle my less intimidating (yet still needy) bathroom drawer instead. 


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

Mobilizing with several young children can be overwhelming without a system.

Every family’s routine will be a little different, but I’ll share ours:

Beginning 15 minutes before our departure time, I begin nursing the baby. Next, I instruct the children to clean up toys and begin bathroom rotations.

When everything is ready the children arrive at the front door to don coats. I glance over them, making sure nothing is amiss, then send them zipping out to the van!

Then, the race is on! Their mission: Have everyone buckled into the van before I make it out to the garage. I make sure to give them a few minutes head start as I fill my water bottle or make a last minute bathroom run myself. After locking the house, I carry the baby out to the van where I’m greeted with cheers of, "We won!" The children are triumphant; they are all buckled and ready to go.

Several years ago, out of necessity, I spent a few sessions teaching the oldest two to fasten the seatbelts in the carseats, ensuring that their younger siblings are buckled tight. (I often do safety checks). (This was a huge advantage when I was pregnant and would have struggled to climb to the back of our long van!)

An additional thing that helps us streamline: We strive to have a place for everything and everything in its place. This eliminates last minute scrambling. The diaper bag stays in the van, coming in the house only for the occasional restocking. Shoes are conveniently kept on the children’s feet, and water bottles can be quickly retrieved from their cupboard.

For many, a leisurely departure works fine, but for us, it would probably mean my giving up before we even reached the garage.  Because I’m not naturally a high energy, go-getter type person, efficiency is key to my having any productivity at all.

There will sometimes be the last minute diaper blow out, or some other delay.  I like to pad our time, planning to leave 5-10 minutes early in case our usual 10 minute routine takes longer--it happens. 


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

Young children often have a hard time grasping the concept of elapsed time. The first step in teaching them time management is to give them a tangible way to measure the minutes.

The Time Timer does this beautifully. By giving them a good grasp of how much time "15 minutes" or "half an hour" really is, they are better able to manage their own study time, and gain time-management skills.

We use the Time Timer for a variety of tasks:

My 8 year old uses it for piano practice. She knows that if she gets lost in practice she ends up getting behind on her other plans for the day. While she’s able to read a regular clock, seeing the red countdown keeps her time closer to the forefront of her mind.  (And she can come back and do additional practice later in the day.)

My 6 year old enjoys using it for her math and reading time, and my 2 and 3 year olds like just having me set it for random things so that they can get an idea of how long activities take.


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

I'd posted this querry from PackerMom a few months back on my own personal blog, but thought I'd share it here this week, especially since many might still have Post -Superbowl -Football-Brain:  A lady on a message board I frequent posted a question I think we've all asked in some form or another at various times.  This lady is a Packer's fan (through and through!),  and therefore I read her question aloud to my husband who speaks fluent Football.   Ken nudged me aside and took over the keyboard to reply.  Here's her question and his answer.  I liked the analogies in both, and found his reply encouraging and motivating.   PackerMom's Question: How do you have a gaggle of little Packerites and still function?  Aren't you exhausted and a mess and just well, crazy?  I only have 3 but the thought of adding, say another line backer, really just makes me feel exhausted.  Then I have to coach them and clean the locker room and provide nurishment and clean the uniforms and so on?  Too bad the ref is only home at night and on the weekends. So, please, tell me the truth.  Are you slightly going crazy or are you honestly happily plugging along towards the other teams goal post?  (Posted with permision) Ken's response: Remember that the start of every season begins with much planning and preparation.  Once the plan is in place, training camp begins.  Training camp should start out with a lot of strict discipline and hard work.  That way the training and learning the rules can be lessened as the camp progresses Injuries may set you back, but should not be used as an excuse for poor performance.  As the season approaches, a good game plan needs to established for any opposition that may be coming up.   Then you must stop the opposition so you can get moving in the right direction.  Your team might be tempted to go for the bomb to get to the goal quickly, but most touchdowns are scored by moving slowly down the field and winning the battles in the trenches. Penalties  might set you back, and from time to time you might need to punt.  But a good defense against this eventuality will get you back going in the right direction again. Your ultimate goal is to win the super bowl and that is not won on one play or even one game, but a lot of hard work and planning.  So get those little Broncos in the training room now and run and pass for the winning score. In any career, mission, or calling there are days that leave us harried and  worn;  It isn't something unique to homeschool moms.  (In fact, I find this to be the most rewarding and flexible "job" I've ever had!)    Certainly there are days I feel "slightly crazy."  For the most part though, things do really move steadily and happily along.  The players themselves do much of the work, and with training, they learn the plays.   In addition, a larger team means more relief players, and less strain on each individual.  Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell  writes about home, heart and hearth.

 

We’ve all heard the trusty saying, "A place for everything and everything in its place." I like to apply these words not just to space, but to time as well.

When decluttering physical space, I look at an object and think, "Is this item paying its rent?" (Is it providing more benefit--either in enjoyment, or usefulness-- than it is costing in clutter and disorganization?)

Try thinking of your hours as you do your cupboards. Are unused items in the back of your cupboard (or at the bottom of an overzealous to do list) causing guilt? Throw them away or pack them up and store them in the attic for the time being.

Once you’ve cleared out the clutter, find nice containers for those things that earned spots in your schedule, and arrange them neatly on the shelves of your day. 

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

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