Tips to Stay Organized and a DIY Planner

I LOVE being organized.

My living room usually looks like this...

 But then this happened...

via Pinterest

and then came...

 

and suddenly before I know it things get crazy and my coach becomes my dumping place.
One week into school I realized I needed to take SERIOUS action if I want to stay organized this school year.
I know for me school comes, homework piles up, work gets busier and before I even realize it's happening, I become so overwhelmed and break down. I find myself spending more and more time enveloped in the pages of a mountain of textbooks and less and less time with my family. I have quickly realized it is also important to find time for me, even if it is only 30 minutes per day. Now I don't claim to be a professional organizing guru but...

A few TIPS that I have found that help me TO STAY ORGANIZED 

1. Make lunches the night before 
{I usually do this while I'm cooking dinner while I'm already focused on preparing food. Then the next morning I can just grab our lunches out of the fridge and go}

2. Lay out your outfit the night before
{I don't know about you, but for me picking out an outfit seems to be the hardest decision I have to make in the morning haha and I hate when I waste my whole morning trying to decide what to wear, then I become behind schedule, and my floor/bed/entire room is now covered in every piece of clothing that I own.
For me, this is a HUGE time saver in the morning and key to keeping my room organized. :)

3. Do the important things FIRST.
I have found that if I don't, it is so much easier for me to procrastinate and often times, it may never get done or it will get done in the wee hours of the morning when I should have been sleeping (I'm a bear when I haven't gotten enough sleep)

4. Use a Planner!!
This is the BEST way I have found to stay organized. I LOVE lists but what I love even more is crossing things off of them! You can use your phone calendar, notepad on the computer if you spend most of your day working with one, or a regular planner you can buy in the school supply section of a store.

The problem I found with using pre-made planners from the store is that they don't always work well with my schedule. So, I decided to make my own!

How to make a Personal Planner

Supplies:

scrapbook paper, spiral notebook, pen, pencil, ruler, mod podge, paint brush

Other Supplies: Make It Personal so you WANT to use it :)

Pictures, quotes, a title, stickers, etc. {the possibilities are endless}

*Typically scrapbook paper comes 12x12 so make sure to measure and cut your paper to fit the front and back of your spiral notebook. A standard notebook turned out to be about 7.5x10.3

Spread a thin layer of mod podge on the front cover and press the paper on top making sure to press from the center toward the edges to avoid bubbles from forming under the paper. Then add another thin layer of mod podge over the paper you just applied.

*When dry repeat this step on the back

The next part is entirely up to you in how to style the dates in your planner. Make it personal so it fits your schedule! I did a half a page per day (2 days on one page) and avoided using the back so it was easier to read.

Last step - Make the front cute and personal so you get excited to use it!

There ya go, your own personal planner! 

Guess I better get busy so I can cross some things off :)
What do you do to stay organized??


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The Shabby Creek Cottage
The 36th Avenue