January 2013 Challenge {Meal Planning: Week 3}

Back in August 2011 I shared how I organize my recipes in binders. I've since changed things a bit. Check it out.

I print a lot of recipes. I used to subscribe to a lot of recipe magazines. I still subscribe to the Betty Crocker and Pillsbury magazines. I wanted one place to keep everything, so I consolidated.

I have two binders - one for entrees, one for everything else. The entree categories I have in one binder are: beef, breakfast, fish, one dish meals & stews, pasta, pizza, poultry, sandwiches, & soup. The categories I have in the other binder are: appetizers & snacks, beverages, bread, desserts, & side dishes.

I used to keep the small recipe cards in a photo album. This works great, but I just wanted to consolidate, so I moved everything into the binders.

I purchased Martha Stewart Home Office 4 pocket sheet protectors from Staples. They come in a 10-pack for $3.99. They have a little flap over the top where the cards slip in, so they don't fall out. I love it. My only complaint is that they won't hold my 4" x 6" cards, so I ended up taping those cards to sheet protected pages within the binder.

Printed recipes are simply hole punched and placed in the binders.

Recipes from magazines or too big to fit in the card sheet protector go on colored paper in sheet protectors.

Recipe binders aren't for everyone. They take a lot of work to put together, but I've noticed that at least for me {personally} they're the easiest recipe system to maintain and use.

For more recipe binder ideas, check out these posts from other bloggers...

• TaDa! Creations
• CleanMama
• Delightful Order
• Prudent Baby
• The Kitchn

Your challenge today is to organize your recipes! You choose the way that works for you... Binder? Photo album? Pinterest? Recipe box? Files? Please share what method you use to organize your recipes.

January 2013 Challenge {Home Management: Week 1}

By now you've surely heard about home management binders {or something similar - housekeeping, family, home notebook, etc.}. I'll show you how to set one up!

I think they're a good idea to have because they can help keep you organized. I use my {newly revamped} binder to keep track of all of the info I need at hand. I've blogged previously about all of my binders. I do have a bit of an obsession with creating them. Over the last year, my organizational methods fell apart with a lot of stuff that went on in my life. I think I overwhelmed myself with the methods I had in place. This year is all about simplifying. And simplifying means consolidating - which is why I revamped my binders...all into one.

Samsill sent me some binders to try out. My favorite - the DXL binder - is for heavy duty use. It's also larger than most binders, so my tabs and page protectors don't hang out of the binder. My other colorfully designed binders that I've used in the past were getting beat up, so I'm happy to have these new binders.

I used PowerPoint to create my cover insert and the category pages. I have a ton of colored paper that I got on sale from Staples two years ago, so I made the files black and white and just printed on the colored paper. I uploaded the binder cover and categories if you're interested in downloading {for free}. I included a few more options for wording on the cover and extra categories. There are 28 pages total.

The categories I went with are: important info, planning, finances, cleaning & organizing, home, meal planning, blogs, and businesses.

I have a snap folder that I punched holes in {myself} in the front of the binder. This is to hold any important things that need a temporary home - such as event tickets, membership cards, etc.

I used Avery Big Tab Dividers {with pockets} in my binder. I like the pocket dividers because they're wider than regular ones. Plus, I can stick things in the pockets if I don't have time to hole punch them.

Because I used the dividers with the pockets, I was able to use sheet protectors for my category pages. The regular sized dividers would be covered by the sheet protectors, making the tabs pointless.

Throughout the month I'll cover the contents of my binder, though this whole month will not be all about my binder.

So today's task - if you're interested - is creating a binder. At least create the main structure for it. I'll help you fill it up throughout the month. If you're not a binder person, you can create a filing system or notebook instead. Anything that works for you that you can organize important info with - even if it's electronic. Good luck!

Blog & Etsy Store and Holiday Planner Binders

In case you couldn't tell, I love binders. I think they're the easiest way for me to organize paper because:

• it's easy to see everything
• it's categorizable
• I can punch holes in the paper
• I can easily throw things away/replace things

My favorite binders recently have been from Target by greenroom. They're $6 a piece, which kills me (especially since I already have about 15 extra sitting around) - but they're beautiful, sturdy, and have the 3-ring clip on the binding. But if it's not a long-term binder, I'll just use one of the Avery ones I already have, which are also really great products.

Yesterday I created two more binders: one for my blog & etsy store and the other for my holiday planner.

Here's a peak inside:

holiday planner set available here

attached label with paperclips so I don't waste the envelope for 2 months

categories: calendars, cards, gift ideas, gifts bought, home

excuse the poor lighting in the following pictures!

blog & etsy store binder

categories: stats, orders, blog planners, etsy planners, ideas

stat calendar - I have one for my blog & one for my store

order log - the leaves are to hide buyer names =]

etsy store planner for the month

I have more docs in this binder, but I just haven't started to use them yet. I may end up putting this set in my store later on.

And here's where these new binder sit...with my loan binder and home management binder.

Are you as obsessed with binders as I am? How do you use binders at home/work/school?

October Project: Organizing My Loan Paper Clutter & a Free Printable

Love this post and want to see more like it? Each month through 2012 I will be tackling different topics and creating free printables to go along with the project. View the projects here.

I graduated from college in May of this year and Chris graduated in May 2010. We both have student loans out the wazoo. Not all of our loans are from the same company - some are private, others through various lenders from the government. Keeping all of Chris' straight for the last year has been a challenge, and now my loans start repayment next month. I've been keeping all of Chris' loan info in a binder and my school stuff has been in an expanding file. (Chris' was also like this until he graduated, then I got rid of the unnecessary stuff.)

Since I'm in charge of paying the bills, I needed a system that was going to work for me. Here's what I came up with...

This is the binder Chris' stuff used to be in.

Everything is tabbed by the lending company. I labeled the tabs with my label maker.

I decided to switch to a prettier binder, but kept the same tabs, just adding more to the back for my section.

This is the pile of loan bills I received in the mail on Monday. Yuck.

Due to the nature of the papers inside the binder, it wouldn't make sense for me to take pictures of everything and blur everything out. So trust me when I say that transferring everything from an accordion file to a binder (in this case) has made my bill paying life so much easier.

I just keep the binder stashed with all of my other important stuff on my desk. I'm thinking the spine of the binder needs some vinyl love. Ya know, something cool like "loans"...lol.

And I promised a free printable. Here's the loan repayment log I created and have filed out and placed in the beginning of each section of tabs. This makes life so much easier and allows me to see the total going down over time...motivation I guess I'd call it. This PDF file is editable (you can type into it) if you save it to your computer (you can't edit it in Google Docs).

loan repayment log

where i'm linking up this post

Home Management Binder: Home & Family and Birthdays, Holidays, & Gifts Categories

Recap: On Monday I posted about setting my home management binder up. On Tuesday I showed you my first two categories: calendar and cleaning & organizing. On Wednesday I showed you the next two categories: finances and shopping. On Thursday I showed you the grocery & menu planning and health & fitness categories. Today I'm showing you the last two categories: home & family and birthdays, holidays & gifts. I apologize for the pictures in this post -- it's raining today, so the natural light was terrible when I took the pictures.

All of these documents are available for purchase through my etsy store. Some are available for free on my blog. To access the documents, click on the link found under the corresponding picture. As a promotion for this week since I'm doing home management binder posts, you can save 10% on everything in the store with coupon code HMB0911. This coupon code will expire on Sunday, September 18 @ midnight (MT).

My important account numbers sheet is blank because a.) I decided I'd rather type it all up since it's not going to change often. and b.) I'm not going to put my info out there. =] But this idea came from my awesome customer, Ann Marie. I love it because now I can keep all of my account numbers in one place -- credit cards, insurance, loans, etc. I'm keeping a copy in my safe as well just in case.

important account numbers :: part of the home management set (all editable)

I receive a ton of magazines in the mail each month. Most I am subscribed to for free from participating in survey/research panels. And some I've just gotten 100% free. And others I've received really great deals on. I'm a magazine junkie, and that's one form of clutter I'm not going to give up. Having this log in my HMB allows me to quickly look to see what magazines are about to expire in case I want to resubscribe. This copy is blank because again, I decided I want to type it all up since it won't change often.

magazine subscriptions :: part of the home management set (all editable)

The pet information log allows me to see Jazz's vet visit record and medication record (if he ever needs any). Since we live in Utah and he's an indoor pup, we don't give him heart worm medicine. Supposedly it's not common here (according to the vet). He's doing fine after 2 years without it.

pet information :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

I get so annoyed when I have to look for software registration keys to reinstall or "verify ownership" of software. Microsoft Office's key is inside the packaging. Norton AntiVirus is in my email. System Mechanic is in the account online. Etc., etc., etc... Now they'll all be in one place...as soon as I type it up. =]

software registration keys :: part of the home management set (all editable)

The vehicle maintenance log isn't so important for our Ford Fusion...but for my Jeep Grand Cherokee, it's a must. No more scheming me when I get an oil change Jiffy Lube! This girl knows what maintenance has already been done to her car...beware. They try to get me...every time.

vehicle maintenance checklist :: part of the home management set (all editable)

The birthdays, holidays, & gifts category is new to my HMB. I think I'm going to love it though. Living 2000 miles away from the only people we give gifts to makes a mind forget what's already been given. Ya know, someone who's not as into the University of Utah as we are probably doesn't need 20 U of U t-shirts. Never again.

First in this section is the dates to remember log. Birthdays, anniversaries, whatever. Not forgotten any more. (Also available vertically.)

dates to remember :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

Now this is genius. Two people per page. Name, birthday, hobbies & interests, shoe/shirt/pant size, favorite color, and gifts given. I'm sure my dad gets annoyed when he has to tell me in November (for her birthday) and again in December (for Christmas) what size shirt my step-mom wears.

gifts given & idea tracker :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

I plan on making a Christmas planning set. This gift tracking & budgeting list will be included. I think it's genius. I think Christmas is too expensive. My husband thinks we need to buy for everyone and their uncle. Unfortunately we're broke. So we have to budget out, every year, what we're going to spend on each person, blah blah blah. And this year we're not going to Pennsylvania for Christmas...*gasp*...first time ever. It will be strange. But I'm not too keen on shipping a bunch of different boxes to each household for a Christmas gift of a DVD or something...the shipping will cost more than the gift with the way I shop. lol This document may just save our marriage this holiday season. =]

gift tracking & budgeting list :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

And for a freebie for following along with this home management binder series, I'm going to release the child's chore chart for download for a limited time. This chore chart is editable so that you can type in your child's name at the top and type in the chores in the left column. Laminate it and use a dry erase marker to check off completed chores if you want to use it over and over again every week. Download now and save it to your computer because the chance to get it free expires on Sunday, September 18.

chore chart :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

I hope you enjoyed glancing through my home management binder. I've been wanting to show it off forever. Seriously. I just never wanted to post it on my other blog because it doesn't belong. And due to creating the sets for some customers I got to totally revamp my HMB. As I create more and find more other printables on the 'net to add to my binder, I'll share. =]

All of these documents are available for purchase through my etsy store. Some are available for free on my blog. To access the documents, click on the link found under the corresponding picture. As a promotion for this week since I'm doing home management binder posts, you can save 10% on everything in the store with coupon code HMB0911. This coupon code will expire on Sunday, September 18 @ midnight (MT).

Home Management Binder: Grocery & Menu Planning and Health & Fitness Categories

Recap: On Monday I posted about setting my home management binder up. On Tuesday I showed you my first two categories: calendar and cleaning & organizing. And on Wednesday I showed you the next two categories: finances and shopping. Today I'm showing you the grocery & menu planning and health & fitness categories.

All of these documents are available for purchase through my etsy store. Some are available for free on my blog. To access the documents, click on the link found under the corresponding picture. As a promotion for this week since I'm doing home management binder posts, you can save 10% on everything in the store with coupon code HMB0911. This coupon code will expire on Sunday, September 18 @ midnight (MT).

This full page recipe document is one of my faves and I actually use them in my recipe binder rather than my home management binder. My mom sometimes emails me recipes from her collection and I don't like writing them on small recipe cards. With this document I just type everything in and print it out. It's easier to read and nicer to look at.

full page recipe :: part of the grocery & meal planning set (all editable)

I keep my blank categorized grocery lists in the front pocket of the grocery & menu planning section. Having a categorized list makes shopping easier and faster at the store.

grocery list :: single document (editable) OR part of the grocery & meal planning set (all editable)

This is the menu planning page I use most often. I keep it in my magnetic fridge filer in the kitchen so I always know what's for dinner this week. I'm able to sit down and write it out and make the grocery list on the side. And because of the way that I am, I like to rewrite everything onto the single page grocery list that I take to the store with me. I only write down the ingredients needed for dinner on this list and menu plan.

grocery list & dinner menu plan :: single document (editable) OR part of the grocery & meal planning set (all editable)

And for those weeks that I don't feel like making a bunch of full blown meals (like this week), I use this simple menu page to plan dinner. You can download this new printable for free here.

weekly dinner menu plan

Our favorite meals is an incredible document that was the idea of one of my customers (thanks Ann Marie). She asked for a document that she could write down her family's favorite meals and their ingredients so that when she's planning her menu plan each week, she can quickly look at which ingredients she needs to add to her grocery list. No more searching through a million recipes just to find that one for the potato, broccoli, and sausage skillet (that we have monthly) and the ingredients I need to make it. Grocery list making is so much easier now. The version shown below has 10 boxes for recipes with 5 rows in each (for 5 ingredients). There is another version that comes in the grocery & meal planning set that has only 4 columns on the page, but allows you to include up to 16 ingredients.

our favorite meals :: part of the grocery & meal planning set (all editable)

our favorite meals close-up

Dinner ideas makes menu planning easier too. Here I can list all of the meals we could have for dinner, even those that I don't need to use the favorite meals document for because it's obvious what ingredients I need (like for BLT sandwiches). I just started this list, so it's not very long yet, but it was helpful for planning dinner this week when I didn't feel like doing it. Also available in the grocery & meal planning set are documents for breakfast and lunch ideas.

dinner ideas :: part of the grocery & meal planning set (all editable)

A big part of smart grocery shopping is being conscious of what items you already have in stock at home. Before I started taking inventory of everything I have stocked up, I was buying way too much. For example, I have enough hand soap to last me for 5 years I think. Same goes for toothpaste...too bad it expires within 3 years though. I admit, I go a little nuts when I find deals with coupons that are under a dollar. And the toothpaste -- all free. I have finally learned to stop buying it, even if it's free, since I don't have the room for it anymore. With the inventory documents (also available in this set are refrigerator, freezer, spices, pantry, and household product) I simply make a slash in the box for what I have and an "x" when I've used it or put it out to be used. All of the slashes are unopened items that I have stocked up. I keep a list of the things I may want to stock up on if the sale is right in Google Docs because I can access it from my smartphone while I'm shopping. [The pantry inventory is available as part of the grocery & meal planning set (all editable) OR part of the inventories set (all editable).]

personal product inventory :: part of the grocery & meal planning set (all editable) OR part of the inventories set (all editable)

I don't have kids yet, but this medication tracker is perfect for anyone with kids so you know when they last took their medication. That way mom and dad don't accidentally double dose the kid from miscommunication (I've seen it happen when I worked at the preschool). If it's documented, then everyone knows when the next dose is due.

medication tracker :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

Because I just made this doctor visit log (a dentist visit log is also included in this set), I haven't been able to fill it out myself yet. No doctor visits in the future as of yet either. The dentist visit log will be something I'll be filling out soon though since I'm due for a cleaning in a couple months!

doctor visit log :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

I fell off the exercise wagon after the wedding and became lazy. I'm disappointed because I was doing so well and feeling really good...and then I crashed into depression about the job thing...and blah blah blah. No excuses. I need to get back in the game. And when I do, this exercise log will be my best friend for motivation.

exercise log :: part of the family & party planning set (all editable)

 I printed this nutrition facts explanation from Nothing Is Impossible.

{source}

And I printed some other weight loss and fitness information from Downtownn.

{source}

I also have a bunch of Biggest Loser meal swapping ideas printed off that I got from when I was subscribed to The Biggest Loser Club, but due to copyright stuff, I can't show y'all a picture.

I'll be back tomorrow with the last two categories in my binder: home & family and birthdays, holidays, & gifts.

All of these documents are available for purchase through my etsy store. Some are available for free on my blog. To access the documents, click on the link found under the corresponding picture. As a promotion for this week since I'm doing home management binder posts, you can save 10% on everything in the store with coupon code HMB0911. This coupon code will expire on Sunday, September 18 @ midnight (MT).