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An Old School Tool for New School Moms
by Angelia Kane
Make your life run smoother with this tool from yesteryear

We can learn a lot from the past. For Southern American women
of the 18th and 19th centuries, the receipt book was a
household notebook used to run their homes. It was the brains
of the home because it contained notes on everything from
scheduling chores to keeping treasured recipes. Now in the
21st century, you can create your own receipt book to help you
better manage your home.

A quick trip to an office supply store will give you all that
you will need to build your household notebook, including:

~ a three-ring binder,
~ some simple tabbed dividers
~ paper for each of the sections

You can also include pocket folders or zippered pockets for
creating removable sections and storing office supplies.

Between your family and your home-based business, there are
those things that you manage on a daily, weekly, or monthly
basis. For most of us, if we neglect them, it could spell
disaster. As smart as most moms are, trying to keep track of
everything in your head can be too risky. You're busy and
you're likely to forget something! Eliminate some of this
hassle by organizing everything in your household notebook.

To start your household notebook, use each tabbed divider to
create a new section in your binder. Some suggestions for
sections include:

1. A Schedule section for your calendars, routines, and daily
schedules.

2. A Money section for your budget, bills, and a spending log.
Use a removable folder with a closure for this section so that
you can pay your bills on-the-go. For instance, I keep all of
my bills in a removable folder so that I can pay my bills
while waiting for an appointment or a pickup. I just pull
everything out, take it with me and leave the rest of my
household notebook at home.

3. A Meals section for your menus, shopping lists, and
recipes.

4. An Emergency section for insurance policy information,
medical contacts, or bank account information. This is all of
the critical information you'd need in the event of an
evacuation. This is a section that should be removable, and
stored outside your household notebook. Consider keeping this
in a lock box with other important documents. Once you have
the Emergency section complete, you don't want this
information to be lost or stolen!

5. A Contacts section for important addresses and phone
numbers.

6. An Auto section for car maintenance information or contact
numbers for area mechanics.

7. A Babysitters section for the numbers of at least two
sitters, preferably 3, if the other two aren't available. If
you're in an area that has one, keep the number of a 24-hour
babysitting service just in case!

Feel free to add more dividers according to your family's
needs. For instance, if there are persistent medical issues,
you can include a Medical section. If you want to keep
decorating ideas or snippets, include a Decor tab. You get the
idea.

Remember, your life is dynamic, so update your notebook from
time to time to reflect any changes in your life.

The household notebook was an indispensable tool for women of
yesteryear. As you resolve to be better organized, use this
"old school" tool to make your "new school" modern life run
smoother.
_________________

This is an excerpt from "Get Stuff Done!," an audiobook
featuring tips and motivation for at-home moms of young
children by Angelia Kane. Ms. Kane is the host of The Mommy
Mastermind Podcast, a weekly podcast for at-home moms. Visit
http://www.mommymastermind.com to listen to the podcast and
find other homemaking and work-at-home tips.

Take the Next Step:
Pull together a three-ring binder, some simple tabbed dividers
and paper for each of the your sections. Then begin to think
about what sections you'd like to include in your household
notebook.