Every time I’ve found a website that has the “cure” for my disorganization, one of the things they have mentioned making a “control journal”, “housekeeping notebook”, and a gazillion other names for the same thing. I finally decided that they might be on to something, and build one, and I love it. It does a lot of my thinking for me, so when I get up in the morning, and leave my brain behind on the pillow, (or it wandered away to who knows where) I still have my notebook to tell me what to do.
I call mine my control journal since that was the term that Flylady used. Her system didn’t really work for me. But I was able to glean a few ideas from her.
The first page of my control journal, I think is probably the most important. It’s a list of verses I got from Doorposts that I find very encouraging on those days I just feel beat down.
Then my tabs start. I have a tab for Calendars, Finances, Kitchen, Homekeeping, Chore Charts, Homeschool, Herbal Scents, Ministry, Crafts, Articles, Homestead, Addresses, Emergency.
In calendars, I have a year overview calendar and monthly calendars, as well as a list of birthdays so i can make sure to get cards bought and sent out.
In Finances, I have a list of my bills for the month, when they have been paid, or need to be paid, and can write down when I paid them. I also got tired of having to keep up with those little paper check registers you can get from the banks, and I never have been able to balance on on the computer. So I just have lined notebook paper that I use as a check register.
In Kitchen, I have a list of the favorite meals for lunch and dinner, and I am working on a breakfast one. My menu that gets planned according to when I am going to Albuquerque next, and an inventory of my pantry and freezer that I havn’t updated in probably 3 months. So it hasn’t done me much good.
Homekeeping is where I keep my to do lists. I have one for me as well as one for Bryan. I also keep my schedule in this section, as well as my chore charts. I keep chore charts for myself so I don’t have to think about what house cleaning needs done. I made my chart fairly extensive, and as long as I do everything, or at least most things on it, the house should stay clean. I keep my spring cleaning lists here too.
Chore Charts is a tiny section that will be more important once Rachael can do neat things like read. But the charts are helpful for me to know what I have decided that she is able to do. I have 2 charts from Polished Cornerstones in this section. One is the Personal Hygiene Chart, and the other is the Self-Government in Chores. I also have a chart from a scheduling book that I can list chores and what ages should be able to preform those chores.
In the Homeschool section, I keep both my Polished Cornerstone plan for the month, and Rachael’s preschool lesson plan.
My Herbal Scents tab has ideas for my blog, soap recipes that I have made and ideas for my etsy store. I also have charts for soap stuff there so that I can easily reference them.
I am the librarian for the church library. So, my ministry section has a list of what needs done at the library, As well as the Church Bylaws. We also sponsor a couple of children through Gospel for Asia. So I also keep the child’s most recent letter and the stationary if I need to write them back.
Crafts and Articles are both more “fun” sections than running the house. Crafts, I have a list of the crafts that I want to do, as well as ideas for projects further in the future. Articles is just that. Articles that I have read online (or elsewhere, but usually online) that I liked, or made a particular point that I wanted to remember.
Homestead has information for our little homestead. I have notes on what needs planted when. A chart on the probability of frost for spring and fall. We want to start saving seeds, so information on seed saving. We also have chickens, so I have a diagram of external chicken anatomy, and an article on predator identification since we have lost 8 chickens. (We think its the neighbor’s dog.) And I have a drawing of how I would like my yard to ideally be laid out.
The last 2 sections are pretty basic. I have addresses and emergency info. In emergency, I have a short medical history for each of us, allergies (both medicine and known pollen) info, and emergency contact numbers. I also have a check list of stuff for if we ever need to evacuate.
So, that’s my control journal. I hope getting a glimpse of mine will help people get ideas on staying better organized. Mine is a bit more detailed than most of the others that I have seen. But, I wanted something that could micromanage and think for me so that I can spend more time with Rachael than concentrating on what else needs done.
