Organizing the Organizer

I spent all last week trying to get caught up around the house. It's now a new Monday morning and I want to organize -how- I clean the house, so that:

• I don't try to do too much in a day and get frustrated because nothing is getting done,
• I do a little each day on a schedule that fits my tutoring schedule,
• I have a morning routine (Now that I'm not working a full time job, this has been the hardest part)

I found some great organizational tools here to help me revamp my household notebook. I have one at the moment that I learned about on an old HGTV show called "Mission: Organization", that contains our take-out menus and the dog medical records and our household inventory (info for insurance purposes in case of disaster), but the new one really works more as a hub for all of the schedule, routine, and household information I need to make the house run smoothly. I'll try and document my progress as I go. I'm always wont to over-think things or second guess myself so we'll see how it works. The adventure begins!

How did I get here?

The simple answer to that would be that I got married, but really, it's not that simple.

In July, I married the man I have loved since I was 19. (I'm 31 now, so you can begin recommending me for sainthood at any time... ;) ) Within a month, I lost my job and had no prospects of finding a new one. I'm a teacher, so losing a job 2 weeks before you're supposed to return to one doesn't really afford you the opportunity to teach somewhere else that year. I am truly blessed that I can work if I want to and we can afford to have me at home, but it is definitely new territory for me and it has not been easy.

So, that's why I'm "accidental". I didn't just fall into being a housewife, but it's definitely the life I didn't "plan". Up until now, I had worked full time and fit in the housework and errands when I could. I was constantly overwhelmed and a little burned out.

I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I'm pretty sure I should be using this experience to learn something about balance and that's what I'm trying to do. I'm hoping this blog will be an outlet for my challenges and struggles as I learn to be a great housewife and make it my full time job.

I'm sure that up in heaven my mother is laughing at me...I wish I could hear it. ;)