Back in 2010, I decided the Household Binder system I had been using was too huge and overwhelming to really be helpful. I separated everything out into smaller binders and found them to be much more manageable.
However, they were lacking 2 things:
- Beauty
- Cohesiveness
I’m a visual person who craves efficiency, so these two faults made for a system that didn’t meet my needs, and when a system or method doesn’t meet your needs, you end up not using it as you had intended.
A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with my binders and a pen and paper and brainstormed how I could transform these much-needed binders into something that would work better for me.
Here is what I ended up with…
1 binder for Home Blessing and Maintenance
1 binder for Food and Special Events
1 binder for School
1 binder for Bible Study
1 binder for Blogging
Let me break these down a bit for you, so you can see my reasoning and perhaps find direction for your own household binder system.
Home Blessing and Maintenance Binder
This binder is pink and contains all our cleaning schedules (including our One Day Home Blessing). It also includes any warranties and maintenance related items. I do not get this binder down very often because our most used cleaning schedules are on the refrigerator door.
This binder is green and contains the heart and soul of our kitchen. My master grocery and meal lists are, my coupons, my recipes I want to try, my eCookbooks that have been printed out all reside here. This binder also contains any plans I need to make for special events in our household because as we all know, special events often involve food! This binder gets a lot of love and a lot grime and splatters!
School
This binder is white and contains our weekly lesson plans, any interesting articles I’ve gathered, and a lot of scratch paper for me to pour my thoughts onto.
Bible Study
This notebook is black and contains a lot of scratch paper, my schedule for reading through the Bible in a year, and any eDevotionals I’ve printed out.
Blogging
This notebook is purple and contains anything internet and blog related. I have 2 separate folders within this notebook for each of my blogs: Raising Arrows and Homeschool Blogging. It contains numerous lists for projects, posts I plan to write, income/expense sheets, ads/giveaways, and other notes of interest (like the fact that this is the last week you can take advantage of the 10% off coupon code – ramarch – for DrinkBands). When I attend conferences where I will also be working as a promotional blogger, I take this binder along for notes as well, because honestly homeschool conventions inspire much of what I write.
In addition to having different colored binders for each notebook, I also added spine labels and front covers that were pretty. That was one big gripe I had with my old binders. They were thrown together hastily and were downright ugly. These binders makes me happy.
It’s the simple things in life, really.
So, I want to know…
Do you have a binder system?
Do you have a homemaking post that might be of interest to Raising Arrows readers?
Time to link up!
Cheryl @Treasures from a Shoebox says
Pretty and functional! I like it! (Now how did I miss that you have a homeschooling blog too???)
Amy says
It’s a blog about blogging as a homeschooler and working with companies…not necessarily a “homeschool” blog. 😉
Christi says
Good job Amy! Organized is fun when it is also fresh or revamped. Well, at least I think so. LOL!
Holly says
I love your system! Those little pretty touches make a difference for me, too!
Sarah says
Hi Amy! I was wondering if this binder system is how you smoothly move? We “just moved” a year ago and I am strugglung to keep up! I have been wondering how you do it. My oldest is 10, through 3, and I am still trying to figure out where things should go, and who cleans what. :). The bindwr system sounds goof, I was wondering if you have any more ideas. Thank you!!
Amy says
Here’s the post I did on how we eased into normalcy last time: https://raisingarrows.net/2011/02/large-family-moving-making-an-abnormal-schedule/ Hope that helps!
Jamie (@va_grown) says
I found the same problem with having ONE homemaking binder. The thing was huge and cumbersome. I now have one for zones and routines (house cleaning) with maintenance articles and stuff in it. I use one for coupons that also has my meal planning and shopping list stuff in it. I have one for car insurance, life insurance, and health insurance stuff. Our budget sheets use to all be here too, but now I do all our budgeting online and only keep a pen/paper budget sheet for food in the coupon notebook.
We also have separate notebooks for farm/garden/pet related things, blogging stuff, and a prayer journal. It seems like a lot, but I keep them all together in the kitchen and it just makes more sense for me. I don’t have to huff around a 4″ binder everywhere I go! 🙂
Amy says
Amen!
Mystie says
I’ve just been revamping my binder system, too. I’m moving it to be all on the computer and my iPod touch and iPad. I’m tired of printing out papers that quickly get ruined or need to be updated. I’ve been posting a series on how I’m doing it, too: http://www.simplyconvivial.com/tag/digital-management
Amy says
Very cool! I’m afraid I’m still a paper and pen sort of gal. 😉
Stephanie says
Great motivation for me to work on my binder. It is a mess, better than nothing but I need to work on it. Thanks for the reminder.
Annette @ In All You Do says
I love the new binders! I have several binders as well. I have a large one for recipes and one for most of our household chores, master sheets I can copy for meal plans and such. I am still working on tweaking mine to make it work for us and your ideas are so wonderful! Thank you for sharing!!
I also wanted to mention that your reminder about Drink Bands was exactly what I needed. I’m tired of lost cups at church or my oldest who seems to lose his at every turn during the day and then ends up with 4 cups by dinner! I’m so excited to get them in!!! Thanks for reminding me!
Amy says
Great! and you will love the DrinkBands!
Elizabeth says
My homemaking binder has been dormant on my bookshelf for a few years — since our move before last! 🙁 I guess it needs revamped!
I’d like to hear more about your blogging binder — can you show pictures of your forms and share more about how you stay organized with that area of your life? Thanks!
Amy says
I’ll be doing a post on that on Homeschool Blogging soon! 🙂
Josi says
I have two school binders, one for the more broad collection of stuff and “wish list” items. Then I have one that gets used everyday that has our planning material and photocopies of coloring pages, activities, tests, etc. I also have a “misc” type binder that has a tab for each person in the family. Any papers that need to be referred to later, or that my kids will ask for goes in there (church papers, sport team info., camp registration papers, food allergy testing info., etc.) I like the binder system. It helps to always have a place to file papers.
Amy says
I need to do something about our paper mess and lack of filing…good idea!
Head Ant says
My binder system needs a binder. I have three binders so far and they are all incomplete. I love the way you organized yours!
Amy says
I had to force myself to take an afternoon and work through them…it’s been something I have wanted to do for a long time.
Stephanie says
You are so organized, Amy. I tend to gravitate toward notebooks instead of binders. But, obviously, I’m not as organized as you!
Cindy says
Oh, very inspiring! I have one big ugly binder and some notebooks… I wonder if I organized them so pretty if I’d use them more
Thank you once again for the lovely link up!
cathy says
I know I’m a little late to the party, I was reading on how to get your Spiritual life organized and clicked on the link to this blog. I wanted to share my binder system for keeping house. It’s not as elaborate as yours but it works for me… when I use it. 🙂
Kelly Clinton says
I have binders named Tristan’s School (elem), Gage’s College, Family, Budget Binder, Sports
Love my binders!!!
Emily says
I love my binder system! I actually even have a binder for each of my children (color coordinated, which is how I stay organized!) that has different needs for each child…for example, physical forms, medical information, etc. It seems to help if I need something for ONE child.
Susan Lower says
what a great system!
Karen says
Great info!
Hannah says
Hello! I am on your blog be a use my aunt directed me here. I live in a small home and I am feeling very overwhelmed with caring for four children under six. My husband and I are wanting more children because they are indeed blessings bit I find myself griping at evertone and trying to stay on top of everything but can’t. So I am hoping your advice can help me and that I will actually take that advice! Blessings ! Hannah.