Graham Family Ministries

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

A Workable Shopping List

For a long time I simply had a pad of paper on the refrigerator door where I wrote any grocery or other items that we needed to get when it came shopping day. This worked ok, but I found that when I or my husband did the shopping, the list was in no kind of order and it was easy to forget things that way. So...here was my solution:

Being the form/list maker that I am :) - I made up a form on the computer that included headings for the basic things that we shop for each week, listing them in the order that we would shop for these things in the store. In my word processing program I made the page landscape (sideways) and made three columns. This way I could get three lists on each page. I simply print out several pages of the lists, cut them apart, and put them on a little magnetic clipboard on our refrigerator.

Here is what my list looks like:

SHOPPING LIST

Personal Items/Office Items

Baby Items

Dry Goods/Canned Fruit & Veggies

Paper/Plastic/Cleaners

Baking Needs

Chips/Crackers/Breads

Fresh Produce

Refrigerated Items

Freezer Items

This has worked great for me! I keep it on the refrigerator through the week, adding things as I think of them or as we run out of them during the week. Then on Thursdays when I make our menus, I take the list down and add all the items I need for our menu for the next week, and also any non-food items. Once that is done, it goes back on the clipboard until shopping time! I hope this helps someone!

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Friday, October 26, 2007

Using a TO DO List

Posted in Home Organization Tips

I wanted to share with you something that I have been utilizing that has been a huge help to me. I am very much a list maker, a chart maker...one who likes to organize. Well, I had charts for our daily schedule, charts for the children's chores, charts for dishes, etc. I had so many charts that my mind was whirling to remember which chart to look at for what day. Then...along came my To Do list!

I decided to combine a bunch of things onto one page for each day of the week. I have a To Do checkoff list for each day of the week (that I made on the computer) that includes who my kitchen helper is for the day, cleaning chores to be done (by me and the kids- I label each chore with whose job it is), any food preparation that needs to be done for the next day, a place for appointments, etc. Every Thursday when I am making out my menus and grocery lists for the coming week, I print out my To Do lists for the next week, staple them together, and write in any appointments from my calendar, any food preparation items that need to be done that day for the following day, any projects that I want to work on that week, etc. Then each day I refer to my To Do list to keep up on track!

Just to give you an idea, I am going to type in below a few days from my To Do lists for this past week:

SATURDAY

Bible Study
Do some reading
Shower/bath - all kids
Laundry - wash hubby's work clothes
___________________

Food Prep for tomorrow:
Prepare lunch for tomorrow and put in refrigerator
Brown/cook meats for week
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SUNDAY

Go to church
Enjoy time with the family

Food Prep for tomorrow:

************************************************************************
MONDAY

Dinner Helper: Robert
________________________

DAILY CLEANING CHORES:
Laundry: Boys
MOM: Clean all kitchen appliances
14 yod: Polish all mirrors and glass doors
14 yod & 3 yos: Wipe down washing machine and drier
8 yos: Wipe/dust all computer and TV screens
8 yos & 3 yos: change all trashes
8 yos: Take dumpster to the street
Shower/Bath: 14 yod
_________________________

Homeschool
Exercise
Make Bread
_________________________

FOOD PREP FOR TOMORROW:
Soak rice for dinner tomorrow night

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We do cleaning chores every day too. I wrote down everything that needs done on a weekly basis and divided it up for the week, and then assigned me and the kids jobs. I can't tell you how much this has helped me this past week as I have used these TO DO lists. Our days have gone smoother, our house is clean, meals are planned, dishes done, laundry caught up. For me, having all this in one sheet for each day helps me focus and get things done. Why not give it a try! Type up a list on the computer for each of the week and jot down what needs to be done on certain days - everything from errands, weekly appointments/classes, cleaning items, laundry, etc. I really wanted to make myself a planner that I could publish and use, but I had a feeling that my To Do lists might change too much. So having it on the computer where I just print out the sheets each week and use them has worked so far. That way I can make changes if I need to as the weeks go by.

Give it a try and see if having a To Do list keeps you and your kids on task! It has REALLY helped me!

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About Me

I would like to encourage parents as they follow the path the Lord has set before them - which includes discipling their children, keeping a home, building relationships, and much more. I would also like to let others know about ebooks we are offering, as well as other resources that will encourage and equip parents to fulfill the challenge by the Lord set forth in Deut. 6:7.