The key to a good spring cleaning is to not overwhelm yourself so much that you put the entire project off for another day.  Instead, try to organize the cleaning so that you tackle different sections of the house at once or different types of cleaning at the same time.  When you have the duster out to clean the ceiling fans and knick-knacks it’s a good time to hit the plants and bookshelves.

Here’s a list of just a few of the basic tasks to get you started.  You can find some printable checklists below.

In the Kitchen

• Empty out the refrigerator and the freezer.
• Vacuum under the fridge around the coils behind the grill.
• Wipe the top of the fridge off.
• Wipe down all of the seals around the doors.
• Clean the inside of the microwave.  Hint ~  Heat up a cup of water for a couple of minutes to build up some steam first…it makes cleaning much easier.

In the Bedroom

• Clean out those closets.  Don’t hold back…if you haven’t worn it in a few years, you probably aren’t going to start now. Get everything out of the closet and thoroughly vacuum the far corners.
• Flip over and turn your mattress.  While you’re at it, move the bed frame out of the way and vacuum or dust under it.  You might even find that old, missing sock you lost last year.
• Take the comforter or bedspread to the cleaners.
• Throw out all those old toys your kids haven’t played with in years.
• Get blocks of cedar to help keep the moths away and things smelling fresh.

Elsewhere

• Dust and wipe down all of the ceiling fans in house.
• Take your screens down, hose them off outside and wipe them down with warm soap and water.
• Dust your lampshades.
• Remove all of the cushions and pillows from your couch and chairs and vacuum this out.  You might even find some money here!
• Clean your windows inside and out.
• Wipe down the tops of all door frames.
• Test all of your fire alarms and change the batteries if needed.
• Change the filters on your air conditioner.
• Get new entry mats at every entrance.
• Use a magic eraser to get those pesky scuff marks off of walls.

For the Hardcore

• Remove and clean all the faucet aerators.
• Change the pollen filter in your car.
• Change the shelf liners in your drawers

Remember

• Donate anything you don’t want or can’t use.
• If you find something you haven’t seen in years or forgot you had…chances are you don’t need it.
• Start from the top and work your way down.  Vacuum the dust that has settled from your marathon dusting session.
• Remember that a clean home makes for a healthy one.  You can literally breath easier once your house is clean.

More

Check out some earlier articles on spring cleaning:


Printable Spring Cleaning Checklists

Another Spring Cleaning Checklist

Spring Gardening To Do List

First I encourage you to de clutter your email. If you have a hotmail account, aol, or just a local ISP. Merge them all into ONE. My only recommendation is GMAIL. Gmail is one of Googles MANY tools to get you organized. Besides, if you have multiple email accounts you can check them all via Gmail as well as send and receive emails from a POP account.

In addition, it’s easy to organize your family life with the use of different Google applications such as Google Calender, Google Black Berry Sync, Google Contacts, Google Documents, Google Mail, and Google Voice.

Google is quick to point out to business; the value of time saved using Google to manage their business. Busy Moms rejoice because these same tools can save you time and sanity for both your busy family and yourself as well!

So how do I manage my family’s schedule with Google ?

The first step is to register for a Gmail account for each of your family members old enough to have an email account (old enough to learn how to use one.

I do not suggest creating a ‘family account’. Each user needs to have their own individual Google Account. Google will allow you to share what you want with each user.

Once you’re signed up with Gmail you can begin to coordinate the different accounts and start organizing you family life from wherever you might be whether it’s at home or on the road.

You can head over to the Google Calendar section and begin filling out your own calendar that you can then share with everyone, other individuals or specific groups of people.  You can limit some events to private settings while sharing other information with a different level of access.  You can even sync your calendar with other popular applications like Outlook or you Iphone or Blackberry.

Another busy mom shares her tips for keeping her family’s schedule and home together . Today’s featured busy mom is Isabel Isidro Mom of three balancing parenting and co running a business.

How do you keep your children’s schedules together ?
My kids are 7, 5 and 2 — and they all go to school. The two youngest are home by lunchtime while the eldest spends the full day in school.

We have a strict schedule in the house, and the kids know it. The younger boys take a nap in the afternoon. They play or relax in the afternoon after school, and one of their favorite activities is playing Wii with their father. The kids then eat dinner, and take a bath. Then from 7:00-8:30 pm, it’s their study and reading time.

I give them the materials they need to work on and practice with, and they choose the books they want to read. By 8:30 pm, they’re on bed and ready to sleep. They’re early risers, and wake up anywhere from 5:30-6:30 am – even on weekends! None in the family are late sleepers.

To the extent possible, we don’t do any extracurricular activities during the weekdays, only weekends. School is tough already for the kids, and we’d like them to have time to rest, have fun, play with each other and just be kids.

Saturdays, though, are when things go crazy with their schedules. They have various lessons, and by lunchtime, I am tired from driving around the area going from one lesson to the next. However, in the afternoon, we always make it a point to go to the library to pick up the books that they’ll read for the week.

Do you use a particular day planner ?
No. I used various dayplanners – from the cheapest to the most expensive leather bound planners. I even attended a daylong seminar by one of the big businesses in dayplanning business on how to organize and plan your day using their dayplanning system.

But none really worked for me. I will be “good” and use the planner judiciously for a few weeks, or even a month. And then nada — blank pages after that.

For one, I need something that I can carry with me all the time, not some bulky planner that sits nicely on a desk but impractical to be carried in my purse around. My purse is heavy enough as it is with all the kids’ stuff, and having a bulky planner does not work.

Do you own a blackberry?
Not a Blackberry, but I use an iPhone with an app for my to-do lists for the day. It’s been very effective for me. I carry my phone all the time, and having my things to do and scheduler on the same small device allowed me to keep track of what I need to do for the day. I just love it!

What is you most used ‘time saving tip’ when it comes to running your house?
You need to be a goddess of multi tasking and organization. Find the best strategy that works for you and your family.

For me, I need to spend a little time the night before thinking what the family needs to do for the day – e.g. making sure the kids have put their assignments in their bags. Otherwise, I’d forget it! I spend a little time putting my list in my iPhone’s to-do app.

My husband has also been extremely helpful in running the house, and I don’t think I can run the house without his help in everything.

Because we run a web business, I also rely on a lot of technology to run a home-based business alongside running a household with three kids. When the kids play Wii for example, I sit and watch them play, but I have my laptop with me to enable me to respond quickly to emails or do some web site maintenance tasks. We also have laptops in almost every room in the house, because you’ll never know when you can sneak in 5 minutes of work. My husband tells me that I am “surgically attached” to my computer. I know I need to unplug sometime, but it’s just so hard!

Do you have a favorite quick meal for your family?
Ramen. We’re Asian, and the kids love noodles. My 4 year old can eat 2 packs of Ramen in one sitting. They also love fried spring rolls, which they eat with rice.

Tell us the truth ? What would we find in your car right now ?
I’m pretty good in terms of managing the clutter in my car. I don’t leave anything in the car, except for the ice skating bag with the kids’ equipment and gloves. Plus a pack of biscuits and crackers that the kids like. There’s no clutter in my car because I carry everything in my big bag!

Even my husband is amazed at how heavy my bag is and what I bring in it. Plus, my husband vacuums and cleans the car weekly so I have no complaints :o)

What advice would you give to other moms who feel the pressure of trying to be ‘super mom’?
Don’t even feel pressured to be a “super mom.” I’d go crazy if I even aim to become one. I just live one day at a time, trying to enjoy life with my family. Let the kids have fun, teach them responsibility, appreciate the value of work, and be grounded with family relationships and religion.

I just want them to experience as much as they can. Don’t feel you have to do what others are doing – just do the best you can do for your family.

What is your number one goal for the year ? How do you plan to reach it ?
To finish my book. I’ve been working on a book about starting a home business for years, and this time I am about ready to have it published. How do I plan to reach the goal? By not sleeping! The only time I can write is at night when everybody else is sleeping. Daytime is pure chaos, and I just can’t write anything during the day.

Isabel Isidro is a mother of three boys, ages 7, 4 and 2. She is also the co-founder of PowerHomeBiz.com, a 10-year old site for home business owners and solo entrepreneurs, and runs WomenHomeBusiness.com and LearningfromBigBoys.com. She just tries to live and learn each day – not always succeeding, but always trying.

This is a great time to get yourself organized.
This time of year everyone is switching closets from summer to winter and getting ready for the holidays that always seem to come too quickly…here are some Helpful Hints and Tips and a few Misconceptions to Keep You Organized.

Myth #1
My home HAS to be clean to be organized:
There are many days my home could use a cleaning, dusting, vacuuming but I am still organized. People think if their home is dirty or messy that it isn’t organized.

Myth#2
Once I organize my closet, draw, or room it should stay that way:
Your closets and draws need attention a few times a year. the more you use that space the more attention it needs. Clothes closets need to be weeded out twice a year, when you change your wardrobe from summer to winter and then winter to summer.
This is a great time to get rid of the clothes you aren’t wearing.
Draws you use more frequently need to be weeded out more often.

Myth #3
I can do my bills anywhere.
Create a spot where you can have some quiet time.
Make sure you have stamps, letter opener, envelopes, pens etc.
Keep a simple file draw or a file carry case and keep bills for only 1 year and tax papers for 6 years.
A simple file system is all you need to keep your bills under control.

Time management and space management is important to live a stress free life. Remember once you have set up a new system to keep organized, give yourself at least 6 weeks to get accustomed to the new routine.

Lisa Gessert is a professional organizer at Administrative Solutions.

Start to Declutter and organize your home today with Clutter Diet

Dawn and her daughters

Today’s busy mom tips come from Organized Familie’s Featured Busy mom ‘Dawn Hall’.

Dawn’s tip of colour coding the kids when scheduling is one of my favourite family time management tools as well!

How do you keep your children’s schedules together ?

Each child is only allowed to participate in one (team sport, music or
church) activity per season, taking into consideration that some sporting events will overlap each other. On our family calendar each person is color coded, meaning each person has their own color. Family events are one color.
Example:
Mom: Red
Ashley: Purple
Whitney: Blue
Family: Green
(Daddy passed away from residual effects of brain cancer complications after a 61/2 year battle) in 2001 when our daughters were 13 and 14 years old.)
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Do you use a particular day planner?

I use a weekly planner book, that has a folder in the front to hold
paperwork that fits into my purse.
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Do you own a blackberry?

Yes, and I love it! I would like to learn how to use it more efficiently!
It is so very worth the extra monthly cost to be able to do quick e-mail replies, facebook and Twitter from it!
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What is you most used ‘time saving tip’ when it comes to running your house?

Everybody knowing each other’s consistent weekly scheduled commitments/appointments, and then being able to text each other.
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Do you have a favorite quick meal for your family?

Most always I have fresh lettuces already cleaned and prepared in the refrigerator that is ready to be adorned with healthy ingredients I keep stocked such as: lean deli turkey breast, assorted fat-free salad dressings, assorted fat-free cheeses, salsa, and fruit that can be easily cut-up to put into the salad. My Busy People’s Cookbooks are loaded with unique, quick and simple salad recipes. Just today my daughter complimented on a salad I’d easily made in a few minutes for us for lunch. I like it to look like I took a long time preparing it; but honestly, fast & frugal quickie meals are for me!
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Tell us the truth? What would we find in your car right now?

In my car you would find: dust,(it needs cleaned), an empty water bottle on the back floor (that I forgot to throw away), CDs of inspirational speakers, praise & worship CDs , and high energy music turned on. In the glove compartment of my car you’d see a protein bar wrapper, small bottle of body spray, a few dollars “stashed-cashed for emergency” (and I do mean few dollars), my car registration and copy of auto insurance. In the trunk, a box of assorted Busy People’s Cookbooks with stickers that read “Autographed Copy” (to put on books) and a baby blanket I bought on clearance for a gift for a friend.
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What advice would you give to other moms who feel the pressure of trying to be ’super mom’?

Let Go & Let God. We can’t do it all the time. Super Woman Syndrome is a serious problem that robs us of our joy. I know! I had it! UGH!!! Learn to do your best and then trust God with the rest. Balance is key to serenity!
Hey, I just made that up! I like it!:)
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What is your number one goal for the year? How do you plan to reach it?

To live a balanced lifestyle. This is something I seriously focus on daily!
I am such a people pleaser and I hate to say, “no” to anyone. This is something I have had to learn to do without guilt or shame. If I am too busy to take care of myself with eating right, exercise and getting enough sleep than I am too busy! I plan on achieving this by writing my goals for the following day out before I go to bed.
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Dawn Hall, a widow from Swanton, Ohio self-published her first cookbook in 1995 to raise money for her loving husband’s brain cancer treatments (even though she did not know how to type, use a computer or publish). Since she has sold over one million Busy People’s Cookbooks featuring low-fat, home-style recipes made with 7 or fewer easy to find ingredients!

As the host of Cooking for Busy People TV show on Direct TV (NRB Network) she humorously shares the life lessons she’s learned as she’s watched her weight and counted her pennies.

Check out her sites:

Cooking for Busy People Facebook

Twitter id: @CookingforBusy

Tammy Jones is a mother and the owner of A Mom Entrepreneur (one of the networking groups I belong to) and  A Single Rose .

How do you keep your children’s schedules together ?
My children are both in college now, but we basically used a big calendar on the kitchen wall.

Do you use a particular day planner ?
No.  I use Microsoft Outlook to keep track of upcoming business interviews, meetings and appointments.  I also use it for personal stuff to, like: my husband and kids activities, doctor appointments and family gatherings.

Do you own a blackberry?
No, but everybody tells me I need to get one.

What is your most used ‘time saving tip’ when it comes to running your house?
I don’t have one.  Can you help me with that? J  I can’t get any help from kids or husband, so a lot of things go undone.

Do you have a favourite quick meal for your family?
We call it Jean’s special.  Named after my mother-in-law.

Take a pound of ground beef, box of frozen spinach, two eggs, ½ cup parmasean cheese, ¼ cup minced onion, salt & pepper.

Brown beef and minced onions in medium sized pan.  Drain, stir in box of defrosted spinach, 2 eggs – cook until eggs are done.  Then stir in parmasean cheese; add salt & pepper to taste, enjoy.  Easy breezy, only one pan gets dirty.

Tell us the truth ? What would we find in your car right now?
You would find 7,000 copies of the Kennedale Dispatch, (the delivery man is on his way here at this very minute to get them out of my car) a laundry basket, a dolly [like trucking dolly], lots of old mail and coins in the floor, empty water bottles, and a lawn chair!

What advice would you give to other moms who feel the pressure of trying to be ’super mom’?
Trying to be super mom is an aspiring goal.  But there’s no way you can do everything so you have to cut yourself some slack.  Don’t feel guilty about what doesn’t get done.

What is your number one goal for the year ? How do you plan to reach it ?
My goal is to NOT go back to work for someone else.  i.e., stay in business!

I plan to add some new sources of revenue to my websites.  I also plan to market my design and newsletter services  more heavily here in the community.  I will also continue to search for new customers, while keeping the customers that I have very happy.

Tammy Jones is a 45 year old mother of two daughters whom she raised by herself after a divorce in 1991 (hence the launching of her first website www.SingleRose.com )  SingleRose.com was a USAToday hot site in June 1998, has over 26K registered members, receives millions of pageviews per year and will open the 13^th annual Angels Assistance Program for single mothers on October 1.

Tammy also publishes: www.aMomEntrepreneur.com a networking site for mom business owners, www.KennedaleNews.com – the official newspaper for the City of Kennedale.

This week we have read a few great books, one of which is written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh. Trick Or Treat is a fun BOARD Book with flaps to peek under.

Simple fun  sentences make this a great book for your new reader to read to you for bedtime !

So here’s your chance to WIN a copy. Sent to your child in a big brown envelope decorated by inspired Canadian Artist ‘Abigail McFarlane (age 6).

Just leave a comment here (include your email address with spaces) telling us what you love about halloween to be entered.  For extra entries – tweet the contest out everyday (come back and leave a comment for each tweet).

Happy Trick or Tweeting ( I couldn’t resist)

The Almost Always Organized Mom

PS: Wondering what to tweet ? Tweet the following:

Contest closed October 15th 2009 (so we can get it to you before Halloween !)

Start to Declutter and organize your home today with Clutter Diet

How do you keep your children’s schedules together ?

It’s not easy. There’s a lot of juggling; but when my husband and I can’t manage, there’s always a friend we can turn to for help. I don’t like to ask for help too often, and when I do, I’m sure to return the favor. Parents need to support each other!

Do you use a particular day planner ?

No, I just use a very simple one that I picked up at an office supply store. I also make a lot of lists, and use sticky notes to remind myself of important events.

Do you own a blackberry?

No, but now that everyone else in my family is texting, I will have to upgrade to a cell phone that makes it easier for me to do so. I’m not in a rush, though, since I’m online much of the time anyway. It’s easier to catch me through email than it is by phone!

What is your most used ‘time saving tip’ when it comes to running your house?

I would have to say that it’s asking for help with daily tasks. My children help out a lot in the kitchen, and my husband does the laundry. Actually, my husband likes to cook as well.

If we all work together, it also saves more time, and makes activities, like cooking, so much more enjoyable.

Do you have a favourite quick meal for your family?

Sometimes, we’ll have tuna or turkey sandwiches if we’re really short on time, and sometimes we’ll even make breakfast items, like eggs or pancakes, for dinner.

I also like the idea of “make your own” taco or salad nights, which can be quick if you already have the ingredients. I recently wrote a post about family salad nights

My favorite quick breakfast is muffins (made ahead of time, of course), and you can find two of my favorite muffin recipes here.

Tell us the truth ? What would we find in your car right now ?

I don’t keep a lot in the passenger area, other than reading materials. You’re bound to find a children’s book or two, because I’m constantly at the library.

As for the trunk, it’s all about the sports equipment. There are fold up chairs, a basketball, a football, my son’s baseball bag, a first aid kit, etc… Oh, and I keep reusable shopping bags in there.

What advice would you give to other moms who feel the pressure of trying to be ‘super mom’?

I’ve been there, and eventually I came to realize that there is no such thing as a perfect mom. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

I would say the most important thing is not to compare ourselves with anyone else. If we focus on being the best role models we can possibly be for our children, that’s really all we can ever ask of ourselves.

What is your number one goal for the year ? How do you plan to reach it ?

I’ve been working on my blog full-time for almost 7 months now, and I’d like to free up some of that time to work on other projects.

To reach this goal, I will devote certain days to different projects, and keep better track of the time I spend on each.

Dawn Morris is an accountant, a teacher, a parent, and an avid reader who has a passion for children’s literature. She started the blog, Moms Inspire Learning, in order to share her knowledge, and to inspire a love of learning and reading in people of all ages. Dawn also contributes to the free online magazine, Literacy Lava, and is a guest blogger at DreamBox K-2 Math.

You can read Dawn’s Tweets by following her.

Before you go check out This DeClutter and mom organization Resource. Click Here

Halloween is not my favourite holiday but it is that of my parents -  so Halloween has always been a fun time for my family. I do however LOVE reading to my children every evening before bed and we have a few great new children’s books to read for Halloween.

The first book, my daughter was happy to read to me right away. She has also asked to take it to school at Halloween to have me read to her classmates (so we will have to do some practicing).

The book is Tuckers Spooky Halloween written by Leslie McGuirk. Tucker is an adorable little terrier (the type of white dog my border collie mistakes for a sheep) looking for an ideal Halloween costume.

If you stop by Leslie McGuirk’s website you will find that Tucker has his very own series of books that I will have to look for.

Tucker reminds me of my son Darryl who spends at least one month changing his mind everyday as to what he will dress up as for Halloween.

My daughter reads at an advanced Grade one level and she needed some help sounding out some of the larger words. I think my son who is a year older would have an easier time with this book.

It is a GREAT bedtime story. I plan to read it to my daughter’s classroom  and utilize my Early Childhood Education experience. Yes we had to practice reading children’s books to an audience, though it’s been a while. Maybe I will dress up and read … hmmmm  should I be a cowgirl or a witch ?

There are a number of ways to maintain your peak energy level during your work day. Experiment with the following:

- Get organized the night before. By getting your clothes, lunch, and briefcase ready the night before, you’re less likely to be rushed and/or late. A calm and controlled start to your day allows you to focus readily and lucidly when you get to work.

- Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation results in irritability, stress and slow reaction time similar to being drunk, not to mention many other health risks. Your body keeps track of the sleep you’ve lost. Falling asleep when sitting quietly is an indicator that you may be sleep deprived.

- Take breaks! Take those your employer offers or create your own breaks if you are your own boss. Go for a walk, go outside, climb a few flights of stairs – move! Just a few minutes of change refreshes your mind and your body.

- If you are in a noisy area, close your door or wear headphones to reduce sound, if acceptable at your workplace. Go to a quiet location to work, if possible.

- Eat. If you are running low on fuel, you will not be able to function properly. Have a healthy snack during your breaks.

- Drink. Keep yourself hydrated. Coffee from our well-known coffee cafes is three to four times stronger than regular coffee. And if you get a specialty coffee, it’s loaded with sugar. Stop for one on the way to work, and expect your energy to crash in a couple of hours as the caffeine and sugar wear off. Better to have some green tea or water.

Be intentional about maintaining your energy level, and you’ll find your productivity will increase. As your productivity increases maybe your paycheck will too!

Beverly Coggins is an organizing expert, speaker, and author of the 1-2-3 … Get Organized series. She also writes a daily blog on organizing your office, time, and home. Contact information: Bev@1-2-3GetOrganized.com; 330-922-0755.