Being organized is key to me feeling capable.
Being fit is key to me feeling energized.
Being supported is key to me feeling strong.
And living in a clean and ascetically beautiful space is key to me feeling calm.
All of these ring true in my life, but today, let’s chat about feeling CAPABLE as a result of being ORGANIZED. This is my ‘why’.
As for the ‘How’, first up, I use an A5 diary/agenda, my @stellarizeyourlife notepad planners and to do lists every single day. Each has a different purpose and all of them are key to me staying organized and structured. So before I get into organizing tips that help me, let me summarize how I use each planner, because this is my absolute foundation to my every day.
Weekly Planner: On a Sunday night, I sit down and write out every appointment, play date, extracurricular, etc for the week ahead. I also make a note of any important to do’s that need to be actioned that week. This planner lives in my office as a desktop planner.
Day Planner: Every evening, I write out my schedule and to-do list for the following day. I tear this paper off and carry it with me in the day, so that nothing gets forgotten. On this same paper, I will write down any reminders that come through that day, which I may need to diarize (ie birthday party invites etc). That evening, that same paper gets checklisted (to make sure I have done everything), and anything that isn’t complete goes on the next day’s Day Planner.
Menu Planner: Pretty self explanatory. On a Sunday, I write out our weekly dinners (our nanny helps me with preparing the kids dinners each day, so it’s great for her as well), and our grocery list. It always lives in our kitchen and since it’s magnetic, it’s up on our fridge door.
To Do List: An extra listpad which is always close to me for extra lists here and there, and everywhere.
Monthly Planner: I use it to write down our nanny’s extra hours (if there’s overtime) so I know exactly on which day of the month she worked how much extra. This is so useful when I do end-of-month admin and payments. It lives in the kitchen, so that she can have input too when needed. I also write out any babysitting needs or weekend plans that our nanny needs to be aware of. I would use it for my hubby and I to align, but truth is that we recently created a joint google calendar for our respective individual and joint needs, which has been super helpful. So the Monthly Planner is mostly to coordinate with our nanny, and have the month’s overview displayed in our kitchen every day.
My A5 Diary: In addition to these notepad planners which we design and sell at Stellarize, I do swear and live by my weekly A5 agenda/diary. I have had one as long as I can remember. Have tried and tested countless brands, and am still hoping to finally launch our own Stellarize version soon!
And finally...
Top 10 Tips on staying Organized as a Busy Mama:
- Get Myself Ready First. I always have a quick 2 minute shower first thing in the morning. Even if I hear my littlest chatting away in her bed already, after that alarm clock rings (and no child is crying for me), I do a quick shower, get dressed and feel ready before waking/collecting the kidlets.
- Have Help. Having help is key to my existence as a Mama of five. This is something I am not shy to admit, but have also had to learn over the years. I know I would manage without a full-time nanny, but I would be far less calm, capable and energized as a mother. A support system is so useful in helping any mother (be it paid help, friends, your partner/husband or grandparents). And whatever your support system may look like, having clear roles is important.
- Dinner Prep. I delegate children’s dinner prep to our nanny, which saves me rushing it in the afternoon when everyone is tired, hungry and cranky (including myself, hah!). But even when I do not have a nanny, I always prep dinner in the morning, or early afternoon, when kids are napping or I have some spare time on my hands.
- Timing. Meals and bedtimes are on a time schedule which just makes sense and works for us. Breakfast, lunch and dinners…then bath and bedtime, are pretty much the same time every single day.
- Laundry. I do a load of laundry every single morning, first thing. I do not let the laundry pile up.
- Extracurriculars. I organize and book these well in advance to ensure I get my kids in the preferred and time-convenient weekly classes for the next school year. I also try to lump my older kids into the same activities on the same day, where possible (i.e all three older ones do theatre on a Monday, and all three do German on a Wednesday). I ride-share with friends where possible, allowing me to only to the drop off, or pick up, instead of both.
- Saying No. This is something I have had to learn and for me the real turning point came when I became a mom of three. I used to say yes to everything, but I realised I just couldn’t anymore. And I started saying no because I realised more and more that my time is absolutely precious.
- Self-Care/Exercise. Do something for yourself as a mom every single day. For me this is exercise, first thing in the morning (after the kids are dropped at school, and my nanny has started – she helps me with my youngest). This puts me on the right track (and mindset) for the day. For other moms it may be a bit of chill out time on their phones on the couch, flipping through interior design magazines, or watching their favourite series for an hour. Whatever it is, make sure you give yourself some time so that you do not burn out.
- Next Day Prep. I mentioned this in my ‘Planner Notes’ above, but this is SO essential, that I need to make another quick mention. Every day, after the kids are in bed, I prep for the next day. Laying out clothes, packing snack boxes, prepping the breakfast table, wrapping up my day’s to-do’s, and writing out my schedule and to-do list for the next day ahead. My life would not go round and round without this little structured system of mine. I do not go to bed early, but I cope just fine on less sleep, and knowing that I have this evening time to get sh** done, and finish what needs to be finished, its literally golden for me.
- Stay Positive. Lastly, a positive mindset helps me so incredibly much. With everything in life, but especially staying organized and happy in motherhood. My husband used to travel for work constantly, weeks at a time. I solo parented most the first 8 years of being a mama, to one, two, three, four and then five children. And many people always asked me how I handled it with so much grace. Truth be told, I stayed positive and looked at the bigger picture. I truly believe that I am lucky to be able to stay at home with my children, because this is something I always wanted. It is not an easy gig by any means, but being positive about it helps in so many ways.
Stellarize your life!
