The Mom Binder

I believe I got this idea originally from Crystal at Money Saving Mom.

It has changed a little since I first put it together and now I have something that works for me.

The mom binder is what I use to keep my home running smoothly. Here is what the inside pocket looks like.

My inside pocket contains return address labels, stamps and envelopes. We do most of our bills on-line, however I do like to mail birthday, sympathy and get well cards.

Then I have tabs on the inside for sections that are labeled with: one for each of my 4 kids, household, vacation stuff, holiday stuff and I used to have a receipt section (now I use a tub for my receipts).

In each of the kids section is where I put the class lists with phone numbers and email addresses for the classmates. Any information about the teacher. I also put party invitations as well as papers for soccer and basketball signups. Just a little tip, to keep from paying a late fee for signups. I put the paper in the section for that child that will play. Then I make a note on my calendar as to when to send in the form or fill it out on-line. Also in the kids section is where I put my information if I am in charge of a class party. I always volunteer to chair atleast one holiday party per kid, that information goes in here as well. In this section I also put any information pertaining to future doctor visits, such as family history papers that I need to have filled out before our appointment.

In the "Household" section, I might put information we are gathering for new windows or a new roof, I have a cleaning sheet that gives me a list of things I need to do every week, month, season, etc. That helps me to not forget to do something. Like for instance cleaning the baseboards. I honestly don't look down that far very often, so I never remember, this helps me to remember and gives me a place to start from.

I also have a spot for "Vacation" information. We rarely travel but this is where I would put articles, emails or general information I need for the vacation or a vacation that we would like to take someday.

The "Holiday" section is for recipes I might find on Halloween cookies. I put it in the "Holiday" section to remember for the girls school parties. Or an idea for a great birthday theme. Or a Fall Festival I heard about.

In the back inside pocket I have extra copies of my "Weekly Planner" papers that I print off from MomAdvice.com not to mention the "Daily Docket" sheets from there as well.

This binder really helps me to know where the papers are. All the kids know what I need when I ask them to go grab my "Mom" binder.

This is something that really works for me. This post linked to Works For Me Wednesday.