Food Planning

I love to cook and I love to eat, I am hoping that buy scheduling meals I will be able to cook more. I read once how much easier it is to cook and plan when you have a well stocked pantry and it is SO true, but it can be expensive if you try to do it without a menu plan. Food Is Fun CookBook by AntiquesGaloreGal for $5.95

I've tried everything from weekly family meetings, to family members planning meals, to cooking once a week or cooking once and eating twice (that doesn't work if you have a husband who eats all your leftovers for his evening snack!)Country Festival Casserole Dish by SouthernLadysVintage for $16.00

My newest thing to try is something that was suggested to me by a mom of 7. Theme nights. And the meal doesn't have to be a perfectly home cooked meal, your family will survive if occasionally you have Macaroni and Cheese or soup and sandwiches sometimes. Sometimes good enough is okay.

Monday Mexican
Tuesday Italian
Wednesday Chicken Night
Thursday Frozen Pizza (my work day so we have an easy meal)
Friday Crock Pot Meal
Saturday Pasta
Sunday Pork or Fish

Pizza Felt Food by PickleThings for $27.00

This definitely needs some tweaking and it may actually come to a set menu every 2 weeks that just alternates, but this will get me thinking and hopefully begin me on my road to organization!

Bon Appetite!

Home Organization

I am jumping around quite a bit, but that's how I roll.

I, as well as many other people have a very hard time managing everything I have going on in my life. Being a mother of 3, a WAHM with my own business, a wife, active in our church and a husband with an erratic work schedule I don't have a lot of consistency in my life (which I CRAVE) I want to know what is going to happen and when it is going to happen.

------------->Vintage Medicinal Photos by FunRetro

I have figured out that I need to concentrate on what I CAN control in my life. For the next 2 weeks my shop is taking a back burner and my life is coming forward. If for some reason it doesn't take 2 weeks to organize everything, well then, I'll go back to work sooner!

My first step in home organization is to get back on a schedule. This is hard with a 2 yr. old and a 6 month old at home and an 11 yr old in tween activities, but it works. It really does! My housework schedule looks like this.....or it will

Vintage Wood Frame Chalkboard $16.00 by jherrmann

Monday Laundry, Kitchen
Tuesday Kids Rooms
Wednesday Laundry, Office
Thursday WORK WORK WORK
Friday Laundry, Master Bedroom
Saturday Living Room, Family Room, Bathrooms
Sunday REST, well just don't stress

1945 Easy Cleaning Hoover Ad for $5.99 by MoreLooseEnds

When making a housework schedule, you need to take into consideration other constants in your life.
Wednesday mornings at our house are library days, Thursdays are the days the toddler goes to daycare...and I reserve that day for work (business work).
Saturdays and Sundays I usually have an extra set of hands home so the majority of cleaning is done on those days.
With 2 kids on the floor I (try to) vacuum everyday but I do a thorough vacuuming once a week. Be flexible, adjust your list as you need to but DO NOT backtrack. It can wait til next week if an emergency comes up!

What I can control in my life is MY PURSE. When my purse is a mess, it usually means my life is a mess. My to do list for just today is clean out my purse and make a list of which chores to do on which days.


--------->Wood and Lucite Bluebirds Box Purse for $26.50 by CheekyVintageCloset

Priorities

Yesterday I sat down and made a list of things I need to do to update my shop. Since I've been selling on Etsy for almost 2 years and am ready to increase my...well hopefully sales, but I'm ready to take the next step and am going to work extremely hard on my shop this year.

----------->Squirrel To Do List $7.50 by AfricanGrey

My goal for this time next year is to have made 1 sale a day or having my total sales at782 on December 29, 2010. I've learned a few things over these past years and will hopefully learn much more this year but to begin I will be doing the following

1. Update my international shipping profiles

I ship worldwide. With this comes the decision of whether to take the time to list every country or have them contact for a quote. Right now the customer has to contact me for a quote, I've been trying to update my profiles with each request, and now I need to update all my listings with the updated shipping info. I hope this makes my international customers happy!

Vintage Globe Bowl $18.00 by Recy

2. Update my shipping costs

Unfortunately the time has come to increase postage. As much as I hate to do so I lose money on shipping. USPS is increasing rates in January and will again in May. I have not increased my rates since I began....so I must now (don't fear, it won't be outrageous! and I still refund any excessive shipping costs!)

Wood Grain Postal Scale $18.00 from Hindsvik

3. Retake photos

Last year for Christmas my husband made me a backdrop for my photos. Since then I have purchased lights, a tripod, a new backdrop cloth and set up a room specifically for photo'ing. I need to re shoot some items that haven't sold, before I relist themKalart Custom 8 Splicer for $10.00 by DaisyToad

I have many many other things on this to do list, but my computer time is up!!!!!

Goal Setting for your Life and Business

A short series that I am going to present is goal setting for your life AND business. I myself am working on this over the next few weeks in hope of making this new year bigger and better than the last.

Series possibly being (Subject to change due to #5!)
1. Prioritizing

2. Home Organization

3. Inventory Organization

4. Mental Organization

5. Setting Workable Standards

No. 3 Bright Yellow Box with Handles $17.00 from SarahAnntiques

Warning Warning Red Alert!

Just fair warning that Listen to Me will not be ignored for much longer! Now that the crazy busy Christmas season has passed I am taking 2 weeks off to reorganize my store inventory, blog and life in general. Check back soon for a fabulous mess!

Red Secretary Blouse with Neck Ruffle and Tie $15.00

Red Suede Flats with Black Bow Size 7.5 $27.50

Sheer Red Half Apron 'Love from Denise' $12.00