Cleaning & Organizing
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Do you have a home organization binder?
Does anyone here use a home organization binder? If so, how did you start it? DH and I have a bunch of papers with notes and such that we would like to include. My problem is that no matter how many times I attempt to put it all together I feel like it isn't "just right". Any hints/tips?
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Re: Do you have a home organization binder?
I just started one. Right now I have emergency contacts, birthdays, and contact sheets (plumbers, doctors, etc). That's all I have so far.
I do have a binder of household things-such as all of our receipts for home improvement projects. I have one binder for us and the pup-doctor's receipts, vet receipts, etc. And I have a binder of information from our tornado damage.
I guess I have multi binders.
http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com
She has her binders in the project gallery. They're awesome!
We have one in case DH and I both deploy at the same time and someone has to step in and run our household and care for our pets. The binder is at home, but off the top of my head, the front half of the binder is all household stuff, the second half is all dog stuff. We have a list of bills and due dates, important family contacts, contact info for our utility companies, usernames and passwords, a list of frequently cooked meals (it makes meal planning so much easier if we already have a list narrowed down), the templates I use for meal planning and grocery shopping, and the Fly Lady detailed cleaning lists. The dog part of the binder has 'snout to tail' worksheets, copies of all their vaccination records, copies of my special needs dog's allergy report and medication info, microchip numbers, contact information for a boarding facility, detailed feeding instructions (how much food each dog gets, where their bowls go), the ASPCA list of foods not to give dogs (grapes, onions, chocolate) as well as poison control's phone number.
The front of the binder has the vet's office number and her emergency cell phone number so in the event of an actual emergency, nobody has to flip through the binder.
I keep receipts and paid bills in folders in a filing cabinet. That stuff doesn't go in the binder.
This is a GREAT idea!
I just started a "coupon binder" from my friend's idea. I got a photo album from Michael's and keep the grocery list in the slot in the back that's for a CD.
Is your "Home Organizer" binder a photo album? What type of binder do you use? Just a regular school-type binder and then laminate pages?
Now I want to start one!!
These are the sections/contents I currently have:
Home: You Are Here (home info w/ directions and DH's and I's #s), emergency phone numbers, emergency packing checklist, hurricane preparedness guide (I live in South LA); planning on taking an inventory of all our 'big' things we have in the house and taking pictures of each, keeping any warranty info with this.
Family: Our personal info (allergies, med info, copies of ins cards, etc), Pet info (Names, birthdates, vet info, feeding schedule, shot record, etc)
Cleaning: Daily/Weekly cleaning sch, spring/fall cleaning checklists, cleaning tips/tricks
Meals: weekly meal planner, master grocery list, price list (for when things go on 'sale'), take-out menus and restaurant coupons
Planning: Important dates, school calendar, party planning
Money: a list of all of our accts and contact info, logins, etc... (I don't have full acct numbers, only the last 4, and I also don't have the full logins/passwords, just a few letters/numbers to jog my memory), a YTD monthly checklist for bills paid
Misc: master to-do list (like big projects, not daily to-do's)
*I have this all in a 3-ring binder, with dividers, page sleeves, and folders in certain sections to hold important things. I made my own checklists in Word (a few I googled to get ideas, but still made my own), and I got some little dry-erase markers to write on them. I just started this project over the summer, and as anal as I am, I'm sure I will never be 'finished' with it. I don't have any kids yet, so I know I will be adding to it when that day comes. I know some people keep their calendar in this, but I prefer to have my own master calendar (that is with me at all times). I also have a separate (13 pocket) folder that I use for any ideas I get, and save magazine clippings and what-not in that.I have 3 binders. They're all 3-ring and I have the pages in page protectors with tabbed labels. Simply and organized.
I LOVE this idea!
I am the queen at not being organized.
Another good idea would be to keep all of the recipes you/your family like so that you can revisit them. It would make meal planning a little easier, as in we would actually eat at home and NOT go out to eat everyday.
Wow! You all are putting my little binder to shame. I am motivated to get mine together - contact info, etc...majorwife - you are amazing!
I used to keep all of my stuff in a binder too but it got too cumbursome so I went the online route:
Excel spreadsheets for all house information
Scanned in important docs and keep them on an external harddrive in a safe
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