Re-organizing

New years bring re-organizing. I like that. Being organized makes me feel like I have some level of control over the clutter in my life. I hate clutter!!!

I was just thinking about clutter the other day. I get to a certain point when the clutter is getting to me and I'm just shy of a melt-down. I feel under-prepared for guests and such... I was chatting with Handy-Hubby's mom about this because she was visiting and I was feeling guilty because our home was not of the standard of cleanliness that I desired for when company arrives. She assured me that it doesn't bother her one iota. As a matter of fact, she confessed to not being a very good house-keeper. (although I think she does just fine) She explained that when her children were young, she was a single parent. She worked full-time to care for them and had little time to worry about house-keeping aside from essentials. As a matter of fact, she said that on her day off she was NOT going to spend it trying to catch up on house-work, but instead spent quality time with her children. They went places... parks, museums, road-trips, picnics, etc. They enjoyed each other's company, made precious memories, and even learned about historical things and other educational topics. She did what really mattered and I commend her for that. Funny... as I sit here now pondering that conversation... Now I know why my Handy-Hubby is the way that he is. I understand why he's a "seize the day" kind of guy. I understand why he thinks that things can wait... why I don't need to "clean like the president's coming." (his words) I'm still annoyed by clutter, but understanding how he became the guy he is... even if he's a procrastinator of sorts... it helps.

Anyway... on with re-organizing things... I have much to re-organize:

1. I have a fresh clean calendar just waiting to be filled with dates to remember... birthdays... anniversaries...work schedules... Bible Studies... appointments... and even a menu.
2. I am learning how to be a better manager of funds... we have a budget and a plan to climb out of debt. We've been working on it for a while and are seeing the results... but we can't stop until we reach the goals! I'm learning to get the most for our money on groceries and other misc items. I plan ahead, clip coupons, shop sales, and stick to the list.
3. I'm learning that a huge part of budgeting and saving is linked to planning meals ahead. When I began I planned 3-4 meals per week that I would shop for and it didn't matter which days those would be. Now I'm upping that to a plan for at least 6 days per week and will soon be budgeting/planning more than just dinners (breakfast, lunch, and snacks too).
4. I'm learning about wholesome goodness for our home... whole grains, lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies, and lean dairy products. We are aspiring to "move more" in efforts to boost our overall health.
5. I cleaned in the basement this week. HH has a new toy - a table saw. I found all sorts of ways to de-clutter and organize our construction materials and such. It's a work in progress... but coming along.
6. I'm learning to keep up with my spiritual journal and devotions on a more consistent basis. Now that is God honoring!

So much to do and plenty of time to do it... I want to make a home binder with all our important information in it. Work in progress... I haven't even dug out a binder yet. Well.. the printer is on the fritz so I've been putting it off.

What are you doing to re-organize? Isn't it just so refreshing?!