Note Cards Reloaded

I'm still on a picture-posting bloggy break (oh please, oh please let my computer get here by the weekend- I have about 1000 pictures to share!) but I thought I'd let you know what my little notecards have been up to. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this post.



Routine Shift

I've been making a few changes to the system this past week and it reminds me of why I love the cards- all I have to do is re-sort them into the new system! Life has shifted again and superman is working 6 days for awhile in addition to his school schedule. It's good for our budget, but hard on family time. So the one day he is home I don't want to spend the day cleaning as the schedule currently calls for. I've reshuffled my routines in order to keep that one day clear of housework, save the daily "must be done" cards, like cleaning up the kitchen.



Kids Chores

I've added a morning card and evening card for Big Kid. It's not actually for him- it's for my forgetful brain so that I will remind him of the things that need done.



His morning list includes:

* Get dressed

* Brush teeth

* Set the table for breakfast

* Help unload the dishwasher (he sorts silverware while I do the rest)



His evening list includes:

* Pick up the toys in the living room.

* Put on pajamas

* Brush teeth



Big Kid picked out florescent orange cards and I can spot those cards from across the room! He helps with other things as asked, but mostly we want him to take responsibility for some self-care and helping the family out. We've talked about rotating jobs as he gets older and we can drop the self-care items from his list.

I also added an orange card that I'm leaving at the front of my file box. On that card I have written the habit we're working on right now, and right now that word is Obedience. It is just as much for me as it is for my kids.



Special Projects

Ever had a problem with being distracted while working on a cleaning or organizing projects? Let's say you're working on organizing a particular kitchen cabinet, but then you notice the floor needs swept so you go to get the broom only to notice that the closet is a disaster so you work on that for a few minutes before going to put something else away... and on and on until you end up with a dozen half-finished jobs and what feels like zero progress made. I've been struggling with this focus problem lately, so I chose some nice lavendar cards and decided to use them for these kinds of projects- I'm calling them Special Projects, because they are not part of my regular routine.

Right now I have a daily lavendar card for my 30 day 15-item declutter. As I work in different areas of the house I notice things that need to be done when I get to my deep cleaning next month and write it on a purple card. Right now I'm grouping those cards by room and when I get closer to starting the deep clean I'll assign those projects to certain dates and organize them accordingly. I have about 15 cards so far- we'll see how many more I collect in the the next 2+ weeks. This way I don't worry about not getting to those jobs right away; I know they've been written down (therefore remembered!) and that they will be assigned to a day when they can be done appropriately.