As I get older (2 years and 2 months til 40!! YIKES!) I keep learning new things about myself.  Hopefully these things help me be to do better at the many things required of me on a daily basis.

First, I am horribly “out of sight out of mind.” I have loved Flylady for a few years, but my trouble was losing track of my control journal (the place where your routines are written down).  Generally, it ends up under something else in the kitchen, like my recipe binder.  And if I can’t see the routine list, I forget to do them. So, here is my solution!

Pardon my blurry phone-photos, and the not-great hall-way lighting.  Above the routine in the frame, you can see my menu in a frame as well.  (I have had my menu planner in a frame for a few years and I LOVE it!)  I can use dry erase markers to mark things off as they get done.

This has been working so well, I decided to brain storm my desk-issue.  I run a home business of private piano/music lessons, homeschool three kids (now grades 8, 4 and 1), and run a home of 5 people, included finances, adoption paperwork etc, all from one desk.  As I said, I am very “out of sight out of mind,” so I need to keep things in front of myself, but without overwhelming clutter.  Here was my idea.

It actually looks like an office!  I have binders for school, my teaching business, personal use, etc.  These are in the accordian stacker on the left.  There is a tray for the kids to leave school work I need to correct, paperwork I need to take care of etc.  My laptop screen died, so once that is repaired the large monitor and keyboard won’t be permanent fixtures, and I can have surface space to work on.  I also have a wireless printer in another corner of the room. (Hand-me-downs- woot!)  The final touch is setting up my office space, was our instrument investment.

I had not realized just how lazy your piano skills can get, playing in a digital piano all the time!  I am very excited to be able to practice some regular hours with our new “baby,” and to give my students an opportunity to hear how they sound on a quality instrument!  They have all given it two thumbs up! 🙂

I decided to apply this kind of thinking to the kids as well.  Rather than groan about how we don’t function best, I decided to see how to “stack things in our favor” by making it easier to function as we do.

We are easily distracted.  And forget to come back to things.

So I am working on creating spaces for where we tend to use things; then they are more likely to get put away. 🙂 (Pics to come on homeschool corner shelving and others ways of handling books)

Also, sometimes getting started is half the battle.  The girls play the piano a lot, because it is sitting there, ready to go.  It’s more work for Molly to get our her violin, find me to put the pad on it, etc.  So for two weeks we have left it set up and ready to go.

Guess what!? She plays a LOT more often, just picking it up for fun!  (When I told the teacher, she said she does the same thing with her violin and her daughter’s cello- they only get packed up to go to lessons)

Lastly, I have learned that I just like pretty things, and picture frames, shelves all make me smile…

and ruffles and dangly earrings can make all the difference in my state of mind, and how I carry myself. 🙂

I made this shirt over from a Goodwill find… hacked off the sleeves, took in the way-to-wide boxy sides, and turned it into a more fitted tank-top.  Wear with a jeans or skirt!