Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Creating and Using A Homemaking Binder (+ a giveaway!)

homemakingbinderfinal

One of my goals this year was to better utilize my household binder. I wanted it to be a tool that works well for me in our everyday routine. For the life of me I cannot seem to keep a coupon binder organized, and I felt like my homemaking binder was starting to fall under that same sounds-good-but-isn't-working category.

So this year the homemaking binder and I smoothed things out. I've actually been using it consistently all year long. Some weeks the binder falls by the wayside, but I come back to it because it's actually become a resource to me.

The nuts and bolts of my homemaking binder include:
-a daily docket (a comprehensive-but-concise daily to-do list/schedule)
-menu planning resources
-my cleaning schedule and checklists
-kid's medical information
-budget resources
-random lists (cause I love 'em)

DailyDocket

The first page I see when I open up my homemaking binder is the daily docket. This is the page I use the most! It's like a glorified daily to-do list.The particular one I use was created by Ann Voskamp and has sections for things like:  meals, chores, the most important things you want to accomplish that day, the memory verse you're working on, and the schedule for that day. Getting into the habit of using a daily sheet like this has really helped me focus in on the most important aspects of the day and not run around in circles.

In the first section of my binder I also have a monthly calendar. The calendar I use is a printable from ListPlanIt. This website is a list-maker's heaven! It has ready-made lists that you can print out and have handy forŚ a multitude of occasions. Many of them are perfect for a homemaking binder, as you'll see below. (P.S. Stay tuned for a chance to win a year membership to ListPlanIt at the end of this post!)

MonthlyCalendar

I use this calendar throughout the week and during the weekly planning meeting that my husband and I have each weekend. (Well...not every weekend...but that's our idea in theory)

The next section in my homemaking binder is devoted to menu planning. I have sheets for a weekly meal plan and grocery list, a freezer inventory list, and a list of our favorite meals to help jog my memory when I menu plan (each of these printables is from ListPlanIt). I've also included a few of my past month-long menu plans to give me ideas.

WeeklyMealPlanner


My21Meals

Next is everyone's favorite section...the cleaning schedule! *wink* I created my cleaning schedule using the Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule ebook, and I use a few printables from Money Saving Mom.

MyDailyCleaningSchedule

A few other things in my homemaking binder right now are:

  • Printables for recording details from the kid's doctor's visits (from ListPlanIt). These printables have proved SO useful, because I can simply remove them from the binder when I take the boys to the doctor, update them, and return them after the visit. It helps me keep things straight regarding vaccines, questions I have for the doctor, etc. 
  • A sheet outlining our current cash budget
  • An ongoing list of items we need to buy for the house.
You can include anything you want that's pertinent to how you run your house! I use the pockets in the front of my binder to place random paperwork that needs to be filed (so that it doesn't clutter the kitchen counter!).

Putting together a homemaking binder is simple. You'll need:
-A binder of your choice. I'm currently using a white, 1 inch, 3-ring binder with pockets inside both covers.
-Page protector sleeves.
-Organizing pages of your choice.

And now for the Giveaway!

If you would like to win a year-long membership to ListPlanIt with access to all of their incredibly useful and creative lists, leave a comment on this post with your email address included! I'd love to know if you currently use a homemaking binder.

For extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):

 

Linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Homemaking Link-Up.

Disclosure: I received a free membership to ListPlanIt to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
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83 comments:

  1. Wow, I love your binder it seems very helpful
    At the moment I don't have a homemaking binder
    I've seen so many of these on blogs before but they always seemed quite complicated maybe the key is to keep it simple and managable like yours so that I can actually keep up with it
    I do have a similar thing for my university studies, though. Monthly/weekly lists etc and it has really made life easier

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  2. extra comment for Pinterest ;)(my name's Maria there)
    I would really love to win that listplanit membership the forms look amazing


    (mary.hausberger@web.de)

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  3. extra entry for subscribing via email

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  4. I have a binder like this for Christmas planning, so this really appeals to me! Thank you for the details. I'm getting right on it (after I add it to my list). :)

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  5. I am not... but I've often thought that one might be helpful. I could never find/figure out a "right fit" for me, though. Seeing yours has given me some fresh perspective!! ie, I REALLY needed to make bread yesterday. Guess what I forgot to do yesterday... make bread. Arg. Well, I didn't "forget-forget" but every time I was remembering I couldn't do it right then. Maybe I will get around to it yet!! I also like the page protector idea. Right now I have my daily to-do lists on the computer and just change the date and print them off as needed. With a page protector I'd save ink and paper!

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  6. I could use help with organization.

    (mattnsarah.pfeifer@gamil.com)

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  7. I think it's so helpful to have something like this to be organized with. For many years now, maybe 25 years, I've used a card file to keep up with all my household chores. All my chores are on 3 x 5 cards behind the date of the month, in a card file box. Each day after I've done the chore I move the card to the next appropriate date. Some chores are daily, some are weekly, and some are monthly. When my children were young they each had a card file also, which helped them learn to be organized and know how to keep a clean house. I got my idea for this from the book, Sidetracked Home-Executives.

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  8. Please enter me!
    Briana
    gerler.briana@gmail.com

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  9. don't use one but I think that it would be helpful...looks like ListPlanIt is cool!

    jcfoster2@yahoo.com

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  10. also subscribe in RSS feed-google reader.

    jcfoster2@yahoo.com

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  11. I just started a Home Management binder and I need all the help I can get. I like ListPlanIt on Facebook and I added you to my RSS feed. (mvw0717@gmail.com) Thank you very much.

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  12. I added you to my Google Reader RSS feed which I check every day. (mvw0717@gmail.com)

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  13. I like Alicia's Homemaking on Facebook (mvw0717@gmail.com).

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  14. Great binder! You thought of everything. I like ListPlanIt on FB and follow on twitter.

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  15. I currently have a homemaking binder but yours has some new ideas. trauma_junke@yahoo.com

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  16. Sooooo neat!!! I love this! I don't have a household binder with chores, ect...love it! I have small individual for each kiddo, but this looks fabulous! :o)
    xo Marissa

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  17. I have a binder but need help with more page ideas, thanks for yours

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  18. you might like truecouponing.com You don't need a couponing binder, you just pull the coupon section (Red Plum, Smart Source, and Procter & Gamble) out of the paper and write the date on it. You do need a coupon Rubbermaid kind of bin with file folders though or a desk drawer and each week just put that week's coupons from the paper (without cutting them out) in the folder. Then you go to their website and click off the sale items you want from Publix that week, print your list, and go to the coupon section/file folder by date (approx up to 3 months ago) for the item on sale and cut it out(their list tells you where that coupon is). Not sure that makes sense I think you'd love it.

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  19. I follow listplanit on FB, that's how I found you, thanks for your information

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  20. I use (or attempt to use) a home binder. Thanks for the great ideas on how to make mine more useful!

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  21. PLEASE give me te year membership! I have made my own homemaking binder, but I am in need of some real help getting it up to par.
    Brooke
    ebchris98@msn.com

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  22. I follow ListPlanIt on Facebook. Love it!
    Brooke
    ebchris98@msn.com

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  23. Alicia, This is so cool! I've never heard of one of these, but would be a great tool for me to stay sane with. My email is (lindseymimbs@gmail.com) and I liked ListPlanIt on facebook.

    Thanks!

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  24. I like Alicia's Homemaking on Facebook.
    Brooke
    ebchris98@msn.com

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  25. I "liked" ListPlanIt on facebook! I forgot my email in the prev. to comments. mirigard (at) yahoo (dot) com if one doesn't already show up with my name.

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  26. I subscribe to Alicia's Homemaking via email.
    Brooke
    ebchris98@msn.com

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  27. I follow Alicia's Homemaking on Pinterest.
    Brooke
    ebchris98@msn.com

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  28. I follow you on Twitter! mirigard (at) yahoo (dot) como

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  29. I just bought a binder for this purpose... Just need to put it together!!
    Jomandi27@ yahoo.com

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  30. Hmmm...I sort of have a binder...but it's online using evernote :)

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  31. I follow you on pinterest!

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  32. I love this idea! I've tried several times to use a homemaker binder, but always seem to fall off the wagon. This looks like a great tool to try it again one more time. (Darenandjen@seidata.com)

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  33. We currently aren't using a binder, but I'm thinking this could really help us get better organized.

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  34. I do have a binder! It's made a huge difference for me, especially for bill payment! (kg88451 at gmail dot com)

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  35. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  36. I follow ListPlanIt on Twitter (@ktandbri)

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  37. I subscribe to RSS via Google Reader

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  38. I like Alicia's Homemaking on FB

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  39. I follow Alicia's Homemaking on Twitter (@ktandbri)

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  40. I follow Alicia's Homemaking on Pinterest (mynameskatie)

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  41. Very nice! Following ListPlanIt on Facebook.

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  42. I am following you all social media and I am following ListPLanIt on Facebook.

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  43. I've wanted to make one forever but haven't yet.

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  44. I have a Homemaking binder, and I just updated it to make it more efficient, but I LOVE all your ideas!! I think I would use it more often if I had some of your printables in there!!

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  45. I'm TRYING to get started with a homemaking binder. :) This would really help me in that regard!

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  46. I subscribe to your feed. ♥

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  47. I like you on FB. And in real life.

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  48. I follow ListPlanIt on Twitter.

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  49. I'm putting my own home management binder together right now! I'm ADDICTED to lists, so having a subscription to ListPlanIt would be soooo fantastic. :) gghoagland@gmail.com

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  50. I'm now following all of your boards on Pinterest. And they. are. AWESOME. <3

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  51. I don't have a binder but reading this post, makes me want one ;)

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  52. I already like ListPlanIt on FB. LaVonne C. L. is my FB name.

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  53. I now follow LIstPlanIt on Twitter. @longwait4bella is my username.

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  54. I subscribe to your feed via my Google Reader.

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  55. I follow you via Twitter. @longwait4bella is my username.

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  56. I now follow you via Pinterest. LaVonne L is my username.

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  57. I have random pages printed out but never have a chance to actually put everything into a binder. Actually having a binder would be a big help. :p

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  58. Like ListPlanIt on FB

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  59. Follow ListPlanIt on Twitter

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  60. Subscribe to Alicia's Homemaking via RSS

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  61. Like Alicia's Homemaking on FB

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  62. Follow Alicia's Homemaking on Twitter

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  63. Follow Alicia's Homemaking on Pinterest

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  64. I have not tried making a binder, it would really help, I'm always making lists.
    bttrflywmn@gmail.com

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  65. I have not tried making a binder, it would really help, I'm always making lists.
    bttrflywmn@gmail.com

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  66. Like ListPlanIt on Facebook - Iheart Bubba
    bttrflywmn@gmail.com

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  67. Follow on twitter - @Btrflywmn
    bttrflywmn@gmail.com

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  68. I love my homemaking binder!! It is so helpful in keeping my life organized and on track. :-)

    carriem694 (at) gmail.com

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  69. I'm glad I found this post. I'm in the process of trying to create a binder (I've been using spiral notebooks for everything). This helps out. I also got some cleaning lists from money saving mom. My email is newcreation7788@hotmail.com

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  70. I love your idea about inserting a calendar into clear sleeves to write on! You might want to check out mine geared more towards college students:)
    http://letsrunwithscissors.blogspot.com/2013/08/executive-homemaker-binder.html

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