My Journey to Simpler: The Home Management Notebook

{I'm working my way through Tsh Oxenreider's book Organized Simplicity. If you missed the first 2 posts you can read them here: family purpose statement and I'm spending 2 days a week on WHAT?}

I truly never thought I would EVER title a blog post that.

Moving on. Tsh thinks this is a good idea and since I'm giving this whole thing a fair shot, it was my next step toward living simpler. I must say, though (and she says this in the book), getting to a place of simpler living is hard work. It's much more than cleaning out closets and getting rid of clutter.

I've thought about having a notebook like this for a long time and even started to make it several times, but I was thinking about it all wrong and got easily turned off. I kept thinking of all things I should put in the notebook instead of what I would actually use it for. (Like I said before, if it doesn't serve me and the family.... notgonnadoit.) This is why I've left out a lot of sections that Tsh uses. I just don't need them yet and that's ok. I will add as I go.

A side note: it is very important to me that my notebook look cute....otherwise, I won't be as likely to use it. I discriminate that way. Not with people, just inanimate objects. So, useful and cute. My 2 very important things. I found this printable here.

Also, I had the binder, dividers and page protecters already so this little project was completely free!

Here are the sections I've added:

• daily dockets
• weekly/monthly cleaning sheet
• monthly/year-at-a-glance calendars
• menu planning/grocery list/recipes-I've-ripped-out-of-magazines
• home projects list and inspiration (currently looking for a cute printable for this. Let me know if you find one.)

This is Tsh's daily/weekly/monthly cleaning list. I just slid into a clear sleeve and will mark things off with a dry erase marker as I get them done. Easy peasy.

Recipes I want to try in a section divider and my menu planning printable.

I'm working on getting enough meals into a rotation that I can just plug them into a monthly calendar. I drool at the thought of looking over a month full of meals already planned out. Brilliant.

The reason I get anything done all day. Daily Dockets. My family thanks you, Tsh.

I'm trying out a new way to budget online right now, but I may end up adding a section for it to the notebook along with a section for gifts ideas, kids activities and random work and blog ideas.

What do you think? Do you use one? Is it helpful?

...Is it cute? :)