I used to get excited about things like Caribbean vacations, ponies, long weekends jam packed with parties, and Coach bags.

These days, two of the things I'm most excited for I'm also the most embarrassed about, and yet I'm posting about them on the Internet. Because I'm JUST. SO. EXCITED!

Thing #1: The Weekend with No Plans

This coming weekend, I have no plans (see what I did there, with the foreshadowing from the line above?) Correction: I have plans, and they revolve around things like cleaning the house, organizing the nursery closet, planting some new flowers in my flower boxes, getting an oil change, maybe doing a craft, making some lasagna, watching TV, walking the dog...basically, leaving the house as little as possible and not doing anything remotely exciting.

I don't know if this is considered "nesting". I call it "getting my shit together". Whatever it is, is it sad that I'm looking forward to doing it? Please don't feel compelled to answer.

Thing #2: The Home Organization Binder


A few weeks ago, this post inspired me to check out the Just Mommies Home Organization Plan (yeah, I know, the name "Just Mommies" is gag worthy and if the word "mommy" was taken out of circulation rightthissecond it would still be eons too late). But trust me: This plan is awesome. It assigns you daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to keep your home clean and organized, and there are regular catch-up days in case you do let some of your tasks slide. Right now, we operate on a let-it-go-until-we-can't-stand-it cleaning schedule, where there are dog fur tumbleweeds rolling across the floor and we've both been going commando for a week because there's no clean underwear left. This plan has you completing a few items every day, so your house is in a constant state of niceness, and nothing gets out of hand.

Some people can just keep their houses spotless with apparently zero effort. I am not one of those people. I enjoy cleaning, but I need a checklist to keep me on task and to help me keep track of what's done and what's left to do - to-do lists are a huge part of my job and now, I guess, my personal life. Hold me.

So I'm taking it one step further and started putting together a home organization binder. I KNOW, RIGHT? WHO AM I. This binder will keep track of my cleaning schedules, menu planning for the coming weeks, grocery lists, monthly calendars with important dates that are coming up (car inspections and maintenance, birthdays, anniversaries, appointments), Christmas shopping/card lists, mailing addresses, etc.

And for the past several months we've already gotten into the habit of saving all our receipts, bills, bank statements, and so on, all organized into folders with labels like House, Baby, Cars, Bank, and so on.

The thought of having an organized and clean house, never sending a late birthday card again, and not having to scrounge around for dinner ingredients at 7:00 PM and then saying "F it" and getting Swiss Chalet delivered makes me bounce up and down in my chair and clap my hands with uncharacteristic housewifey glee.

I don't know if this is just a temporary phase, a desperate attempt to get my ass in gear before the baby arrives and everything goes to hell in a handbasket, or if the unimaginable Best Thing Ever has happened and I am actually becoming Martha Stewart without the prison record. Only time will tell.

How do you stay organized at home? Do you have a 'system' for staying on top of things - what works for you?