How I Stay Organised With Kids

Routine, Routine, Routine
I'll be honest, sometimes you just have days that go completely out the window. I don't know anyone that has perfect children that do the same thing day out with the perfect attitude, especially at Master almost three's age! The one things though is that if we are home, bedtime is ALWAYS 7pm. If he gets up I just keep putting him back to bed until he stops getting back up.I put him on a Save Our Sleep routine when he turned one and never looked back. Its a controversial topic so I'm not going to go too much into it and I can stay it wasn't as effective with the second boy who just eventually just found his own routine.

Pick up as I go:
As an example as I move about the house I will look around a room before I leave it to see if there is anything there that needs to go where I am going. e.g.. Picking up the socks in the lounge room and dropping them at the laundry , taking the clean clothes basket to my room to put away even though I am only going to the bedroom to put my runners on.

Meal Plan:
Especially because I am wanting to stay on my healthy eating and exercise regime  I always prep my own meals to avoid eating the wrong stuff. As for Master Almost Three I try to make him healthy snacks too that I can whip out the freezer and throw in  a pan or the microwave. I also have packs in the freezer for whole family meals for when the other half comes home. It means more quality time spent together and a whole lot less clean up! I usually spend one chunk of time on a Sunday to get this done. Ill cook up things like meatballs, burgers, slow cooker soups or roasts or snacks I've made in the food processor or baked goods frozen individually like muffins or vegetable pancakes. I like to sneak veggies in wherever I can and use nut meals over flours.


Order groceries online:
For some of my things I'll head to the shops for to avoid paying more than I want to or taking advantage of the junk mail specials. I do order my groceries online from an organic company which costs me $60 a box and lasts me the week. I have even managed to score a box of veggie scraps after they found out I feed our bunnies some of the food so now I have free bunny food delivered, bonus! We will also soon be putting an order in for our meat getting it direct from the farm in bulk to put in the freezer and last us the year. It works out so much cheaper, especially when we are eating predominantly organically.



Rotate the kids toys:
Some time ago I got to a point where I had  just had enough. Enough of the toys and kid's bits and bobs strewn around the house and me spending way too many hours in the day picking it up only to trip over it again 20 minutes later. I went out and bought and huge plastic tub and stripped 50% of the toys ( actually probably more) into the tub and put it in the cupboard. I then put the remaining toys on to a cube shelf so they could be easily seen. I made sure I included a range of things from books, puzzles, blocks, colouring in and boys toys but only one or two of each item. The new rules were if he used it, he had to put it away before he got something else out. Doing things this way means less mess and also he definitely appreciates what he does have a lot more. The bonus? Rotating the toys and he gets excited over all his "new" toys and I haven't spent a cent extra!

Toy Room Before

Toy Room After

An everything basket:
I bought a beautiful massive wicker basket for the lounge room. This is for all those things that I use several times a day but a hassle to keep moving somewhere else. In this basket go the baby toys, a cushion and blanket/throw, tummy time mat, my dumbbells and weights reference book and a ball me and Master Almost Three kick around the house while I'm cleaning up the kitchen or lounge area. It means too, that if people come over I can literally throw everything in it and it all still looks pretty damn stylish.



Declutter:
Having way too much stuff meant I was always picking it up and finding somewhere to put it. Considering I have a real lack of storage in our home this was a big problem and things would be shoved wherever I could fit them. Decluttering is definitely an ongoing process but now I have a streamline shopping list I am well on the way to making this all a much easier process and things are finally finding a "home." It's also quite refreshing to have a lot less stuff and I plan on eventually getting to very basic low maintenance living, it will just require a bit of renovating first.

Baby Wipes Everywhere:
Even if you don't have kids I totally recommend having a few boxes throughout the house. I have one in the bathroom for doing a quick wipe over of the bench tops and the loo seat ( gotta love little boys using the toilet and giving it a bit of a sprinkle!) Another in the kitchen for quick access for grubby hands and face, little bits of burp follow through off the floor or some dog drool. Obviously the last one has to be where I change the baby. Bet you didn't see that coming! if you don't want the Disney baby wipe boxes everywhere just use some contact or glue some nice wrapping paper around it to match in with your decor.

Designated Cleaning Days:
Because hubby works away this is pretty easy to keep track off. Every two weeks on the day he comes home I do a deep clean of the house. Most people could potentially do a deep clean monthly but with two children, two bunnies and two dogs ( i like things in pairs ok?) I have to stay on top of this a bit more often. Ill use this day to do things like changing bedsheets, cleaning out the fridge and pantry, scrubbing the bathroom, washing windows and vacuuming the car out.  The best thing? Hubby thinks it looks like this all the time! OK not really, but doing the deep clean definitely helps with preventing daily maintenance getting out of control.

Bath Box:
Part of the bedtime routine for the kids is having a bath. Because in winter its so damn cold I have the heater on in the lounge room and dress them for bed there. To cut down on running around I put together a "bath box." When the bubs PJs come off in the morning they go straight into the bath box. It also contains the baby moisturiser, nappy and sudocream. Having everything there ready makes it so much easier.

Be prepared and pack right:
I have a small backpack for general short outings and then a nappy bag for the whole day affairs. I always have nappies, plastic nappy bags, dummy, a spare change of clothes for each child. I also have a car organiser that has a few emergency items if for some reason I lose my brain and leave without the bag. This means I only need to add the bottles and food before I leave the house.
I always have a blanket and a bottle of drinking water in the car in case of a breakdown too. The blanket also doubles as a change mat when I'm out and about and need to change the little one in the back of the SUV.

Separate clothes:
I like to separate all our house clothes from our nice clothes. It makes it so much easier when hunting for something to wear when you need to go out. If the kids need dressing and you are only hanging around home you just send them to their "house clothes draw" and they won't be ruining the good stuff! I keep all my house/run about clothes in the tall boy, my painting/renovating clothes in a cupboard in the laundry and hang my nice clothes in the wardrobe where I can see it all and easily coordinate outfits.

Store relevant cleaning products in the right place:
Instead of storing cleaning products all in one place and running back and forth I tend to keep what i need for each room in there or closer to it ( out of reach of little people of course) For instance bleach and spray and wipe in the bathroom cupboard, carpet cleaner, floor cleaner and mop and bucket in the laundry, broom and dustpan and spray and wipe in the kitchen. I also colour code my cloths by buying the micro fibre assorted bulk packs from Big W and use blue for bathroom, green kitchen, pink dusting etc.

Encourage independence:
I have Master Almost Three help me out with lots of things and he is responsible for his own things such as toys or putting his Pjs away. I think if you always do everything for them then you are potentially setting up a bad pattern for later in life.

My Name Is Erin And I'm Addicted To Lists

It's official. I am totally addicted to lists....

I was going to try and stop writing them because I was getting a little obsessive and then depressed over the fact I wasn't ticking everything off. When I make a list I get WAY to excited about all the things I want to achieve in the day and then on the days I wake up tired from a late night disturbed sleep ( kids right?!) I don't start out too well and probably spend a good hour and a half  downing a couple of coffees just to function. I must admit that having a good diet and exercise plan is definitely helping me manage my energy levels better though. So anyway now that I'm doing that I tend to get through a bit more and let's be honest I just can't stop writing lists.

Anything that doesnt get ticked off on the day gets transferred on to the next days list.  When I say I'm obsessed I'm not kidding, but it does helped me be organised in a BIG WAY. Here's an idea of the kinds of lists I create.

Streamline Action List:
This is a list of things I need to do/complete in order to make the day to day stuff I do more streamlined and keep housework stuff to a minimum.
Things like a clear out of toys for the kids  and moving all the toys into a playroom  where they can clearly see them and everything has a "home"  and rotate every few months or sort clothes for donating to make room in the drawers and making it easier to put away/find items.

Weekly task list:
This one is pretty self explanatory of all the things I would like to get done over the week. I'll write it at the beginning of the week and add to it throughout the week if I remember something else. It could be things like listing stuff online, cleaning an area of the house or doing a trip to the thrift shop to donate clothes.

Daily task list:
This one I write the night before and take some of the things from the weeks list and then add anything else I need to get done that day. I will even put in the stuff like a workout or bringing the bins in just to make sure I allow time for it. Plus it's pretty satisying putting a great big tick next to it or a line through it!

Timetable:
This is something I use to block out time for various things and I do it weekly. I always block out playtime for the kids and I usually try to get out of the house with them first thing and then get all my stuff down while they are having an afternoon nap. It might be a scheduled trip to the park, play date or indoor play cafe, basically anywhere Master almost three can run himself ragged and get those endorphins going. I will also block out workouts and what time my favourite tv programs are ( love a good renovation show) or any appointments and catch ups. The rest of the time is then pretty flexible to work any of my personal stuff around.

Streamline Shopping List:
This is a list of things I need to buy that make daily household stuff easier.
Here's a pic of the current list

Comping List: 

I spend a lot of time entering competitions. It's actually one way I earn a pretty decent income from home. In my comping lists I have which competitions I'm entering, the closing date, the number of times I can enter and how often and when the prize is drawn and then whether I won it or not. It's a great way of improving my chances of winning. Last year I banked $25,000 in cash and other various prizes including tickets, a local trip away and a whole heap of smaller stuff like recipe books ( a favourite) and DVDs. This year though I am being much more dedicated.

Shopping List:

I never shop without a shopping list and always have a piece of paper handy on the fridge to write things down as I think of them/run out of them. It means that firstly I don't forget stuff but also that I don't waste money on buying stuff I don't need.

The Next "Big Idea" List:

Anything that inspires something to help me make  or save money or a topic I want to research further, I have a space in a little book to write it down so it's all in one place. I actually have a "List Book" that consists of all of these lists, its rather OCD but hey it's how I roll.

Clean Eating: Banana Choc "Ice Cream"

I love this recipe as a way of getting some fruit into the very fussy little man of mine. I make this as a dairy free recipe but feel free to substitute the oat milk for another nut milk or dairy milk.

Ingredients:
6 medium bananas sliced and  frozen
1/3 cup cacao powder
7 dates, soaked  in warm water so they are soft for blending
1 cup oat milk


Method:
In the food processor blend all ingredients together but only use half the oat milk. As your blend check to see the consistency of the ice cream and add more milk to get your desired consistency. If you go too far and add too much milk you can always pop the mixture back into the freezer and it will freeze into a tub ice cream consistency rather than a mousse /soft serve consistency.

Note: You can also add in dark chop chips, or swap your cacao for some frozen berries to make different flavours. Generally you can still taste the banana but its mild and the dates help to make it sweeter without adding sugar.

Voila!

Quality vs Quantity

Part of my journey to fulfilment as a mother is making sure that I spent quality time with my boys. You know actually DOING stuff with them. It's so easy sometimes to get distracted by things. Housework, mobile, TV, the net, friends or daily life in general all keep us from just stopping and being present in the moment.

Be present.

That is going to be my new mantra.

I am someone who is constantly multi tasking. I write lists often just before I go to bed so I can remember all those things I have to get done over the next day, week or month. It might sound rather organised but I rarely actually complete those lists and I believe it probably just adds to the stress anyway. Of course I don't recommend not writing lists if you are a particularly forgetful person and have bills to pay because well, I don't want to be responsible for you not paying your bills......

I'm also trying to become a little more minimalist. I'm sure there is some link between having too much "stuff" and stress, not to mention having lots of things means you have to put it somewhere. If you have kids you'll be able to understand that just because you put it away doesn't mean it will stay there for long.

I recently read a great post by a lady who packed up almost all of her children's clothes because she was at her wits end with the piles and piles of washing. I could totally relate! I might just have to do a little spring clean of the boys cupboards and mine. To be perfectly honest though, I don't have a lot of clothes for myself. Having had two babies over three  years I was not interested in buying nice things that may or may not fit in a few months with my weight either gaining with a baby or losing after so I have a selection of basics all in neutral colours and stretchy fabric.

Part of the spring clean will no doubt generate some extra cash too which is always a good thing. I've got a fair bit of experience now selling on Gumtree and ebay and already this year have done quite well when I started my decluttering mission. Getting rid of a few baby things meant we were able to get platinum tickets to Nitro Circus this year. It was worth every cent.

If you have any tips of living minimalist with small children I want to hear about it so please send your tips my way. Getting rid of all the baby stuff though.. thats going to be the hard one for me as we are undecided if we want more or if two is enough. Most days I think two is enough though, especially when Master 2.5 is having a meltdown about something every five minutes......

EJ xo

The idea of "Having it all" and knowing when to let go of something thats just not working..

Welcome to Wannabe Stepford Wife.  This little blog is just about me trying to be the perfect wife and parent and businesswoman. In other words its going to be pretty much what pops into my head on the day  I post while I am  striving towards "having it all."

Don't you just hate the phrase "having it all" What does that even mean anyway? I think the idea for women to "have it all" is pretty unrealistic. Even some of the most organised/powerful/rich people might let us think they have it but do they really? If you are one of these people please let me know the secret now so I can stop all this nonsense immediately.

A little about me:
I'm a stay at home mum and FIFO wife. We have two young boys aged nearly three and 6 months. I'd like to consider myself a bit of a mumpreneur, but realistically I get so frustrated with success not happening overnight that I tend to get really enthusiastic about things in the beginning and then quickly lose momentum.

A few years ago I started a blog all about personal finance after being in a bit of a pickle ourselves and overcoming it. I thought people would flock to it and initially they did, but what did I know about running a website or writing a blog? Turning it from little old me into the empire I dreamed off just wasn't happening and I eventually struggled to find inspiration, especially when I helped  quite a few people out ( for free) and never got so much as a review on my page. People wanted pieces of me but they didn't want to pay for it or put in a bit of effort to return the favour and give me a leg up in the online world.  I also had a little boy constantly demanding my attention and two dogs that needed regular walking and attention.

I stuck at the website/blog thing for over two years. Paying people to mentor me, jazz up the site, set up ad space to no avail. I felt surgically attached to my laptop writing post after post, wondering when the hell the money was going to roll in, or even enough money to break even on what I had spent or to be able to pay someone else to blog on my page from time to time and free up some of my life for fun stuff. Despite me plugging away it didn't happen for me and I recently made the decision to shut down the site and just really blog for myself. Kind of more like a journal than focusing on it as a business. If it works out well great but if it doesn't at least I didn't spend money on websites, marketing blah blah blah. To be honest I'll just be delighted if anyone reads this let alone comments or I  manage to generate enough traffic to earn a little passive income on the side.

It hasn't all been awful. My writing does earn me money every now and again. I have had success in having one of my stories published in a magazine, ( retold by another writer) earning money on a writers site reviewing different places as well as recently being approached to write an article for a really big Australian blog which was pretty a big honour for me. As for the blog? It was earning me zilch. I think the most I ever made from it was $400 ish using a system that I had spent THOUSANDS on learning.It's not like I wasn't working my butt off to make it happen either but I realised that I could earn WAY more money do other things with a hell of a lot less work. More on this stuff later.

In short it was time to re-evaluate what I was doing and why. I realised I was spending way to much time trying to be the next version of something rather than just being myself. Trying to compete with someone else like that was exhausting. Deep down I just really wanted to be a good person. A good mum and wife and friend. Someone my kids and hubby could look at and say "Mum/Wifey/Bestie you are inspirational. I am so proud of you." Someone people talked about for having a positive impact on their lives. You know, kind of like Oprah or Ellen but without the talk show.

I know, I know, the kids are essentially babies but I still had this want, this NEED to be able to have them look at me when they were teens with a sense of awe on what their mother was able to do and have them be inspired little people.  Of course the other big factor was to be able to create some sort of income from home so I can stay at home with the boys but still have some sort of identity outside of "Mum" and take some of the pressure of my hardworking hubby. ( I say hubby but we actually haven't got married. We got engaged then decided to put our $$ into savings, our house and our children instead. One day we will do the official thing but that time is not now.)

Anyway back to my desires. I had to sit back and ask myself how I thought I could achieve these kinds of goals. I had to dig deep and try to work out what made me tick, what i was passionate about and how I could effectively manage my time. I came up with a nice big list and it led me here, to download about it. To document the journey so to speak and have a space to write about the things I want to without any real pressure to continue, or box myself in to a particular subject realm. So, if you are here, still reading, welcome to my journey and I hope I can inspire you in some way, shape or form or you can find some answers to your own problems in life or maybe you can solve mine! Either way thanks for sticking it out this far into my first post and I'm hoping and praying you'll come back for the second. Oh and if you have any suggestions ( no franchise/pyramid scheme business spiels please) I'd love to hear how I can fulfil this positive impact existence.

Until then,
EJ x