Family binder: Auto Log
This section has everything from repairs, to accident reports (if you have one), to minor additions (like technology changes, bulbs, plugs, ect.) This section has come in handy with all the major repairs I have had done with my car and the accident from when Hubby's exhaust got torn off his car from tire retread from a tractor trailer. It sucks but it makes things easier.
This section starts off with a maintenance log, where you record the date, mileage, and what maintenance was done during that time. It helps keep track of oil changes, tire rotations, replacements for parts. All simple things up to major things like belt changes, filter changes, brakes, and so on. Very well worth it to make one of these and put it in your binder.
And following that starts all my receipts and what repairs were done. We also keep track of when our cars are up for re-registration, and when they need to go through emissions again. And we keep any paperwork from our insurance company here as well.
I am looking for better ways to organize this section a little better. So I would love to hear your suggestions and what you would do or are doing for your binders. ^_^
Have a great week everyone!
Family Binder: Pet Section
Ever have a schedule you needed to keep for your pets? And one you needed someone else to follow when you are away on a vacation? Well even though we just have fish, we love our fish and they take some maintenance to keep up with at times. So I have created a section to keep all my pet schedules in one place.
When you first open the section there is a page protector with all the receipts from each fish, fish tank, plant, decoration, light, you name it the receipt is in the protector. Our fish store has a 14 day exchange policy so we have to keep the receipts for the fish for at least 14 days.
Next is the feed schedule of when and what food to put in what tank (we have 2 tanks, 1 3 gallon and 1 10 gallon.) I also have stashed some loose pieces of paper to jot down the ph levels, ammonia levels, and the nitrate levels as well. What can I say we love our fish.
We also keep track of when we do our water changes, so we can keep track of how much we remove and how much water we put back in and when we do it. It's been working so far for us.
That was basically a simple section that we have set up. But I want to know what you think! What ideas do you use or want to use? I would love to hear from you guys!
Family Binder: Daycare Section
This section covers my daughters daycare paperwork. This is a rather simple section. This is all the paperwork that my daughters daycare sends home with her about her days.
The first thing in this section is her daily schedule from the daycare. Her teachers love the fact that I try to keep her on the same schedule at home as well. It makes things easier for them and for me.
Then as the section goes on, I get her daily care report and that goes in the binder afterwards. And when I get her weekly lesson plans, I make sure they go in the front of the daily care reports for the week. It helps me keep an eye on what she does in daycare and what to expect to do on her days off (she goes 3 days a week).
Like I said this section is very simple. ^_^
Any questions or comments? I would love to hear them. Feel free to tell me what you think. ^_^
Family Binder: To Do Section
In this section I have 5 page protectors that hold all my pages and my one printable. In this section I have:
~ A Daily To Do List
~ My Home Maintenance Schedule
~ An Everyday List
~ A daily and Weekly Chores Schedule
~A Monthly Zone Chores Chart
~ A Clean Out Checklist
The Breakdown!
The Daily To Do List: This is my printable for the section. On this list everything is broken into sections. The Must Do, which I put down everything that has to be done that day. The To Do, everything that should be done that day. Call Section: for all important calls for the day. Scheduled Section, if I have any appointments it goes there. Morning Section, this is everything that needs to be done first thing in the morning. Before Bed Section, this is all what needs to be done before going to bed. My water section, this is to make sure I drink my 8 glasses of water a day. And finally my Thankful For Section, this is just something to make sure that I keep everything I am thankful for in mind.
The Home Maintenance Schedule: This is a handwritten schedule, I have it broken into 3 big columns and in the last column I have it broken into 4 mini columns. The first column is for the chore, the second is for the details of what needs to be done, and the final column is for the dates completed. This keeps me on check with my monthly cleaning such as, fully cleaning out the fridge, changing batteries in all detectors, change lights in the ceiling fans, and cleaning the oven.
The Everyday List: This list I have found on pinterest and I think it is the most important thing that I could learn and add to my binder. I have to do some research to find the link again to link it in. But here is a basic gist of what it says. The first thing, update any and all family calendars, add in new birthday's or anniversaries and any and all appointments. This should be done at the end of each day (if this comes up often in your life). Next Meal Plan, I can't stress this enough and it really helps when you are living week to week. Plan all your meals off of what you have and then restock the house of what you need to make each meals. I plan for a week at a time. I make my meal plan, then I check what all I have in the fridge and in the cupboards and then i make a list of everything I need and hit the store. Very helpful when you have a little one, make one trip instead of two or three in a week. Next is utilize lists, brain dump any and all ideas you have and make sure it is as detailed as possible. Never leave a room empty!! Words to live by, especially with a little one. If it doesn't belong in the room take it out with you when you leave and put it where it belongs. Donation station, make a donation station and add two items to the box for a month and then look at all the wonderful space you have now gained in your home. Make an errand shelf by your front door and put anything you need for the day there the night before so that way you never forget what you need for the next day. Do a 10 minute tidy up before bed to make your next day successful. And make sure to stay positive about it all. It's the best way to make things easier in life.
Daily & Weekly Chore Schedule: this is also handwritten and I have divided the paper in half and on one half I divided it into three sections and on the other half I divided it in five sections and labeled each section Monday thru Friday. And on the three section side I divided it into Morning, Afternoon and Evening Chores. I do not write on this paper, I actually use a dry erase marker on the page protector so that I can change things around daily to make sure I don't go crazy with repetition lol.
Monthly Zone Chores: Also handwritten, this page is divided into four sections. Living Room, Kitchen, Bedrooms, and Bathroom. Under each I have a detailed breakdown of what needs to be done in the room. Sometimes i like to take this and the weekly chores and focus on one zone a week to help knock everything off the list. I start it at the beginning of the month and work at it.
Clean out Check List: Another handwritten list but another one I found on pinterest as well. Again, I will have to work on finding the exact post again for everyone. But the basics is: Clean out under the sink, consolidate all cleaning products and pitch anything that has very little to nothing cleaning in. Clean out the bathroom: deep clean the shower, go through all beauty products and pitch old product. Fridge and Freezer: pitch all old food, and clean the shelves. Clean out under the beds, clean out anything that doesn't belong there. Clean out the car(s): clean it out, and organize what belongs there. Clean out wardrobe: get rid of (donate) tiny or extremely large clothing, pack away out of season clothes. Clean out your medicine cabinet: pitch old medicine, consolidate and organize. Clean out the office: pitch (shred) non-needed paper work and organize. And finally clean out your e-mail. Unsubscribe from those pesky emails that we get but never open, you know the ones. Organize all important stuff in folders and delete everything else that is not needed. I also do this at the beginning of every month.
And that about sums it up for my To Do Section. And yes I have a lot going on in this section and it is a bit much but it really does help. If there is any questions please feel free to ask.
**pictures to come soon**
Family Binder: Finances Section
This section is a big section in my family since we are working on trying to budget out the family and working on getting into a new place. And to do all that we need a place to work out all of our financials.
The pocket divider at the front of the section on the front holds (for now) our check books, bank account numbers (for now), and it holds deposit slips for our banks. The back of the pocket divider has another pocket and this is where the bills for the month live until they are paid. This section has 13 page protectors in it, one for my bill schedule, and then 12 that are labeled January-December.
The first is my Bill schedule, which I had written out on college rule paper, on this I have all my bills listed by their due date. I have this paper divided into 14 sections vertically. The first section is the Due Date section, this is where I list the due dates for each bill. The next section is of course the Bills, this is where I list out the names of the bills, simple right. And then the remaining 12 sections are labeled for the months of the year. And as the bills get paid off, I put a check mark in the box (created by the rows and columns) with the date paid. Then after the bill is paid, I remove the bill from the pocket and into the corresponding page protector for that month.
It seems like a lot but really it's not. I have a side note book where I keep track of confirmation numbers, date and amount paid. And that book is kept in the very front of my family binder.
I am working on adding in my family budget planner to this section as well. It's just taking a little longer than anticipated. **pictures will be up later.**
Family Binder: Calendar Section
In this section I am going to go over my calendar section and what I have in it and what I will be adding in it soon. All pages that I talk about are in page protectors and I use pocketed dividers with all my sections in this binder.
To start off the first page in my binder is a Dates to Remember printable that has all the months, January-December, on one page and it lists all important birthdays and anniversaries and other important dates throughout the year. This page can be used over and over throughout the years and if you need more than one page double it up and put one facing front and another facing back.
Next is my blank calendar printable. This I am not writing on. I use a dry erase marker and fill it in that way so that way I do not have to constantly print out new ones.
And that is pretty much it for what is in my actual binder at the moment. I am working on making a smaller binder for birthday's and moving this section out of my family binder and into it's own binder so I can divide it up by months and use pocket dividers for cards and things like that. I think it would be much easier. 
