A Project of Epic Proportions {The Challenge}

The Home Management Binder!

Do you have one?  Ever heard of one?  I'm going to introduce you to them, and I am very confident that you will want one!  :)

It's been called different things, but most commonly referred to as the Home Management Binder.  Every person's binder will vary some as far as what it contains, but the core idea will remain the same.  The binder is designed to keep you organized and to keep the major parts of your life in one place to help everything run just a little bit smoother.

I am really excited about this project as I have wanted one of these for the last few years!  I am finding that I can't put it off any longer!  Now is the time!  It has quickly moved from somewhere toward the bottom of the project list to the top!  And I do believe that this is an EPIC project!

Still confused a bit on what it is?  Check here and here, then come back for the challenge!

I've done my research and I'm ready to start!  Taking the advice of one blogger, I'm going to work on this one section at a time per week until I get it done.  I'm REALLY hoping that some of you will do this with me!  I promise most of the leg work is already done for you!  I'll get you to where you need to go! 

Let me share with you a bit about my need for this book and hopefully it will help you understand it's purpose a little better.

I have an address book.  I have a Warner Barracks phone book.  I have a phone roster of numbers of friends/family back in the states.  I have a Calender.  I have a small address book just for online logins/passwords.  I have lots of various documents.  IE Grocery lists, information on traveling in Germany/Europe, information on the Klinikum (the German hospital), Cooking Tips, VAT forms (tax free forms we can use on the German economy, Praying for Your Husband chart, Budget, Orders, Marriage Resources, Thrift Store Consignment Account, papers/craft the kids make and I want to keep, etc, etc, etc.  I also have a Coupon Folder, a messy cookbook, a cash folder, multiple lists of projects/goals and the list goes on and on.  And guess what?!  None of them are in the same place!

I am ready for easy access to the information I need when I need it! 

  

We do have a filing cabinet that we use for a good amount of information, but I really think I'm going to like the binder instead!  Plus, if there is any type of emergency (for whatever reason)  all I have to do is grab the binder and go!

So have I won you over to this idea?!  Do you want one?!  If you want to make a binder your goal for this week is simply to brainstorm! (and maybe to set some money aside for materials.)

  

Think about all the information, loose papers, you have around your house.  I had a whole laundry basket full of stuff that needed to be sorted through.  By laying all of it out it helped me to see what I needed in my binder.  4 Binder's to be exact! (Don't freak out...we'll take it slow!)  Here's what I came up with....

  

Binder #1:

 (I might possibly break this into two folders.  One more for daily use/personal items, one for more "business" files.)

*Containing but not limited to*

1. Contacts.  *Emergency Info, Phone Book, and Address book
2. Calender.  *Birthdays and Special Events list, Monthly Overview, Weekly Goals
3. Medical.  *PCM info, shot records, glasses/contact prescriptions
4. Important Documents.  *Orders, POA, Birth Certificates, Passports, Titles
5. Finances. *Budget, Cash Folders, Bills, Acct Info
6. Projects.  *Short term/long term list, plans, shopping list
7. Blog.   *A place to jot down ideas.
8. Resources.  *On Motherhood, Marriage

Binder #2:

Food!  (This will probably be the binder that takes the longest!)

1. Grocery List
2. Weekly Menu
3. Tips/Good to know
4. Recipes.  To include a section for home cleaning recipes.  IE Laundry soap.
5. Coupons

Binder #3:

Living in Germany!  (Once we move back to the states I will probably condense this section and add it to the first binder, but I figured it has enough to stand on it's own at this point.)

1. Post resources
2. Local Bamberg
3. Travel
4. General

Binder #4:

Owner's Manuals (any and all owner's manuals, receipts, pics of serial #'s, etc!)

1. Furniture
2. Kitchen/Household Appliances
3. Electronics
4. Outdoor
5. Other

I'm still brainstorming on what to do with all of the boy's art projects/papers.  I've seen a few really cute ideas that I'm considering.  I currently file them in 3 ring binders, as well, but I can tell already that it's not going to last that way.  I'm pretty confident that I will also need a section or a binder of it's own for homeschooling.  I'm waiting till the homeschooling packet I ordered gets here before I make anything for it. 

In the meantime, my goal is to organize the rest.  Again, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have some company on this project!  Please let me know if you are going to do this!  Most of the print offs I will direct you to online, but there are a few things that I will make/have made myself and I can email them to you!

I can't tell you how excited I am about this project!  I really believe it's going to be life-altering!!!