Get Organized: Create a Household Notebook

I found a new Web site that I’ve been using to get organized: OrganizedHome.com offers so much that I don’t know where to start. I’ll focus on the part that I’ve used it for the most: developing a household notebook.

The site explains how to start a notebook that you can use for all of your important papers. Here’s how the site defines a household notebook:

“Unlike a personal planner, which is designed for use by one person, a household notebook or family organizer serves as “command central” for an entire family. While each family’s organizer will be unique, most are simple three-ring notebooks with several divider sections.

Most household notebooks include a telephone and message section, a divider for church, clubs or volunteer activities, travel, home management and finance. sections, medical information, and personal records like gift list and clothing size charts. At-home and homeschooling parents often add personal and family schedules to coordinate life with young children.”

I started my notebook a few weeks ago and love it.

My favorite part about the site is the “printables” section where you can print (free) forms for your notebook — pages like regular monthly calendars, master to-do lists, favorite recipe lists and even forms to help organize your scrapbook supplies. There’s even has a section just for organizing Christmas.

So far, in my notebook, I put a printout of our address book, where my favorite recipes are (and what page number they are on in recipe books), medical information, emergency contact information for babysitters, church directory, 7-day menu planner and my personal packing list for when we go out of town. Now, I just have to pick up the 3-ring binder to find any of this stuff. I’m keeping it in the kitchen so that it’s easily accessible for me and for my husband. Hopefully this will keep me more organized.