Home Inventory

1. Clutter

1.1. I feel like it is everywhere! I'm trying to be better about getting rid of things more frequently instead of waiting for a specific time to "declutter" but there's nothing regular about it. I also tend to just move things around in my home if something is bothering me instead of actually deal with it permanently. Our garage or basement is usually the landing space.

2. Before/After School Routines

2.1. Before school runs pretty smoothly when we have done the prep work like laying out outfits the night/Sunday before, lunches made the night before, backpacks/bags ready to go.

2.2. My husband runs the after school routine because I'm not home. My children don't have homework or anything so it's pretty low-key. This will probably change as they grow.

2.3. My children have set bedtimes and routines - I feel like this is an area that is strong for our family.

2.4. I try to have a bedtime for myself but I'm a night owl and enjoy staying up late but it's never for a good reason as I'm usually scrolling.

3. Fundamental Needs

3.1. Exercise is a must for me and right now I'm only making it to the gym, 2-3x/week. I feel my best when I'm going 5-6x/week.

3.2. Is it bad I don't even know what else could fit here? I feel like that's a sign that things are out of alignment.

4. Shared Calendar

4.1. Recently upgraded to a Skylight Calendar that syncs with my Google Calendar. All family events are added and color-coded by person. While it's only been about a month, it seems to be working great for my husband and I.

5. Meal Planning

5.1. I sort of have a system for meal planning and getting better with the Skylight Calendar, which has space for a weekly menu/grocery list, etc. I've definitely mastered weekly breakfast and lunch meal planning but dinner is where it all falls a part due to our schedule and my children's lack of appetite/limited interest in foods that aren't noodles or chicken nuggets.

5.2. My family has learned to use Alexa to keep track of our grocery list. We add anything we run out of in the moment. This works really well when I'm the one shopping since I do grocery pickup. However, a disconnect happens when my husband decides to shop - usually at Sam's Club because he doesn't download any apps. He relies on me to communicate to him what is on the list or recall what we might need. I'm usually at work when this happens and I can't respond or don't have the capacity to think of what we need in the spare moments I have.

6. Zone Cleaning

6.1. I've tried to do one load of laundry a day but it usually falls by the wayside after a week or two.

6.2. I have the bathrooms on a bi-weekly cleaning schedule that is set on my Google Calendar. This works pretty good.

6.3. Vacuuming is done daily in the kitchen and dining room to clean up crumbs and kid messes. We do not regularly vaccum bedrooms or living room due to toys/clutter. We have a roomba but it doesn't run regularly because we don't pick up toys nightly and they're always out so it would probably get stuck.

6.4. The kitchen is not working for me. The countertops are cluttered daily with mail, kid school work, dishes, etc. There are always dishes in the sink. We've tried to reduce the amount of dishes we use by using paper plates but things still build up and need to be reset. No real system exists here.

7. Work Blocks

7.1. Haphazard at best - sometimes after the kids go to sleep. Usually I'm trying to work in any nooks and crannies of my day - while I eat lunch at school or before bed. I do a lot from my phone while laying on the couch or in bed.

7.2. I work two hours on Sunday and two hours on Wednesday afternoons with my best friend.

8. Organization

8.1. I have areas that are organized for a time until they aren't anymore. I feel like I'm constantly resetting things or tweaking them so they can work better.