WOW, that calendar is blue, huh? Trick of the camera, but the more important thing is that it’s also really EMPTY. And this is a really busy week for me!
1. We shop only once a week and refuse to go back. If we’re out of milk, that’s just how it goes, drink water. If we’re out of apples, eat oranges. There’s no need to have one of everything we like in the house at once. Except toilet paper. I will go back for that, but nothing else. Multiple trips to the store to pick up this or that really crowd my days, so I don’t do it!
2. We use a calendar–everything on the calendar is a commitment, nothing is a commitment until it’s on the calendar. And the calendar stays at home. Which means, I can’t agree to anything until I think about it. And don’t buy one of those ones where a day is a whole page, you might actually be tempted to fill it!
3. We only agree to do what we really want to do. Saying NO is a very important part of keeping your day simple. Just because someone else thinks we SHOULD do something as often as they wish has little impact on our decision. “Sure I’d like to volunteer. You can have me once every six weeks.” “But, but, but…” “I’m sorry, that’s all I can offer.”
4. The day is organized around benchmarks. I have four things on my mental to do list. 8:35, 3:45, 5:00, and 7:30. When the kids are off to school, when I get in the car line, when hubby gets home, and the kids’ bedtime. There’s no scheduling to the minute, ever. I just know what has to be done for those four things to happen.
5. We have one planned activity per day. If it’s swimming lessons, then there’s no going to the PTA meeting. If there’s a party, then there’s no meeting friends at the park. Now, I know that sounds drastic, but if you’re like me, planning one thing a day means you’ll probably end up with two. But setting the bar that low means when something springs up on me, (as it always does) I have room in my schedule to deal with it.
Ivory
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These are great tips, especially, for us #4 & #5. Thanks for the list.
This post makes so much sense! I love the idea of “benchmarks.” I found your blog through a friend’s blog and I will certainly keep reading…
I loved this! Though we homeschool our weeks follow similar guidelines.
Love it. I really have to work on the only once to the grocery store thing. I’m always forgetting something, even if it’s on my list.
Great tips, thanks.
Doing better on the shopping now that we have a list. I love having an open calendar. Nothing better!!
Great tips! I tried organizing our day to the minute, but the big blocks with benchmarks works so much smoother for us. And I feel less stressed and rushed!
Great, great advice. I am going to make a copy of that and firmly imprint that into my brain–and calendar! Thanks, thanks a bunch!!
I disagree with #1. We shop for fresh food daily, I do not like to buy meat a week before I eat it, and I hate to eat frozen foods. Kind of hard to shop once a week like that. Veggies and meat need to be purchased every 2 days.
This is great advice. I have been thinking a great deal lately about the “one-time-a-week-to-shop” thing. Very good advice, esp. about keeping the activities to one a day. Thank you.
Fabulous! I’m blessed to not be as busy as many people, but I love your simplicity!
Geez, I’m incredibly wishy washy compared to you! I like to think my mind is “organic” and “ever changing”, rather than wishy washy, though.
Kids really do make your time all scattered. I’m an artist and no longer have the 5 hours to sit and work on a project like I used to. I think I’ll get that back someday, but for now I have to be happy with the 1-2 hours I can find in a day.
A calendar might help me though, one that I carry in my purse at all times. I’ll think on it…
Simple and brilliant! (Oh, and we use washable cloth rags for TP a lot too – so there’s really no need to go to the store…)
Great tips, I could see putting those to use in my life, too! Thanks!
Love it, Ivory! I have two mantras that I live by:
SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY
and
GOOD LORD WILLING…AND THE CREEK DON’T RISE
And our food storage really helps with simplifing trips to the market.
Almost forgot…we even have a years supply of toilet paper!
We just replenish as used.
i love it ,it’s so good
good ideas!! Had to tell you I am getting 4 baby goats in the spring, saw the moms and dad last week. so excited —about fencing I’m the same one that has a friend where the bear got the goat. their others there are fine now – the lama is still on guard big time
I’m not even married..but its fun to read your schedule and how you plan your day!
I’m a planner myself ..I plan my study schedule at B-school..so can identify with you!
Especially the part which says ‘Shop once a week’ and ‘benchmarking around timings’
Great list … for grandparents also. We have our granddaughter a lot and this will help.
Thanks!
This is good. I wish more people would follow this type of plan.
Cori, I use washable wipes for my baby, and I’ve often wondered what it would be like to do that for me, too. But…ew. I’m not sure if I could. (I know, maybe a bit hypocritical.) So I just always stock up when TP is on sale!
Oh a simple life by choice is fantastic. You just feel lighter, easier, and happier. I do a lot for this planet but cloth TP.. you’re a stronger person than me! I’ll do right by the planet and spend the extra change to buy 100% recycled toilet paper and paper towels when I need them.
Great article, thanks. I do this without thinking about it; I’m rather introverted and need a lot of downtime. If I overbook, I forget stuff.
I love this list, I just stumbled on your blog and this post was great. I can’t however do the once a week trip to the store. I do the farmers market twice a week and try to get to the regular grocery store once a week, maybe twice for meats and other things!
The benchmark part is a great idea, especially since I feel like my days are SO busy! Thanks, I’m looking forward to reading more!
“We shop only once a week and refuse to go back. If we’re out of milk, that’s just how it goes, drink water. ” Um, okay. Water on cereal would be gross, but honestly there isn’t space in our fridge for all of the milk our family drinks. And it’s nice to buy fresh veggies through the week.
Why would anyone ever get into a car line? How about parking it? Walk to where the kids will be, then walk them to the car. This means there will be no pointless, air-fouling idling and that the kids learn they have a part to play in the daily adventure. Teach them to walk, not to expect a ride will be given. At least you’ve cut down driving to the market. Keep improving as I will too.
@Peggy- OOooo, I wish I could have more!!! But I’ll get to play with the babies when I breed…
@Lisa–Yeah. My garden and freezer do that too. Oh, and my super simple taste in food.
@jamie–did you notice that there are ages between my first two benchmarks? Almost the whole time the big kids are at school is writing/flextime for me.
LOVE IT!! Im 50 w/a 10 yr old. This is how I live. And I enjoy almost everyday. And can make memories instead of headaches.
These are great tips. I am not an over achiever, so I never set any guidelines for my times. These tips help me do more because they make things do-able.
Great. Thanks.
This is brilliant, and I am very glad to see this approach published. It is much the way I run my life. I do tend to look at it from a security point of view and find that this way of life results in safety. Safety as opposed to the “stacking of chances” I see others doing and wondering why their lives fall apart so readily. The day is only so long, and each day has evil sufficient to itself. When we stack chances, or live more than one day at a time, it always ends in disaster sooner or later. Thanks
Fantastic tips! I’m sure these tips help organize your day. I especially like the one planned activity a day – that really makes sense. Also, if it’s not on the calendar… If it’s not on my calendar, I usually forget about it anyway. Thanks for sharing, you’ve given us much food for thought in planning our day.
You have some really good ideas. The only thing I really disagree with is the once every six week volunteer thing. So many things in our childrens lives depend on the hard work of volunteers. I’m afraid that by offering your time so scantly, you are requiring other families to pick up your slack. I think 1 hour per week per child is more like it.
Hi Cindy–TL here. I don’t want to speak for Ivory, but I believe she referred to telling each individual who requested her help that she had to space out her volunteer hours. If multiplied by the various individuals who ask, between classrooms, church, community, the gal is got to be booked up at least an hour/wk/kid. Thank you for your comment and hope this makes sense.
Must be nice not to have to worry about two other times — when to start work and when to end work (not to mention the calendar at work that can’t be dealt with by claiming that you need to check it when you get home). I’m not suggesting that a housewife’s/husband’s schedule isn’t hectic or worth simplifying, but the tips above need to be qualified — they apply to housewives/husbands… The name of your website implies that, but your “start here” page does not say anything about it. I just made a few enemies didn’t I… (rhetorical question) — I’m just bitter cause I have to make another grocery run sometime after work this week, unless a meeting gets scheduled, in which case I’ll have to rearrange everything…
These are areally stupid, not really practical. And why shouldn’t you give some of your time to freinds, family and/or charity?
What great tips, I am looking to simplify right now and have decided not to take on a few things, so that life won’t get crazy.
Great ideas! I too try to stay home as much as possible and only plan one or two items per day. It keeps things simple, the children and I are much more relaxed and I spend less! LOL.
I think I need to print this out and put it on the fridge. (DH won’t go for the “once a week and if we’re out, we’re out” food philosophy, though. LOL!)
Excellent tips. I love to hear how others keep their lives in a routine of some sort. This is definitely getting copied and handed out to several people that I know who just can`t get organized.
I definitely use the “benchmarks” approach to my day. I have an 8 month old son, and my day revolves around 7:30 am, 10ish am, 3ish pm, and 8ish pm….baby wakes up, baby goes down for morning nap, baby goes down for afternoon nap, baby goes down for the night.
I never schedule appointments for the hour or two after nap-times…other than that, my schedule just sorta flows. 
I absolutely love this website, and just about every article I read either gives me a new idea or totally strikes a chord.
Thank you, Darci! I’m glad you’re enjoying the site!
#’s 3 & 5 are big ones at our home. This is a great list. Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from Organizing Life. Looking forward to checking out more of your blog.
Number 5 is a great tip! I only have one child at this time, and one planned activity is generally all I can handle. Although I have to say that it’s good for me to have that one thing to look forward to (esp. when you’re a new mom). What I like about this list is that it’s simple and helps you to live in congruence with your priorities.
WhooHOOooooo! I thought was a B*TCH for running my house EXACTLY as you just illustrated. After fifteen years, I feel TOTALLY vindicated.
ROOOOOOOOCK ON!
I especially love the part about only one activity per day. I have been doing that for years, and other **ragged** “super” moms always strained to make me feel guilt.
Never worked.