Happy Tuesday! Been up bright and early filling out school registration forms, compiling to-do lists and meeting with home appointments. With my newly organized desktop, I have no problem getting up early to sit right here…In my happy place…
This morning, making those to-do lists were a snap with my new, simple home management binder – created using Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery products…
because I like to keep life simple, this home management binder is just that…Easy, simple and a snap to assemble. Martha’s home office products are so versatile they can be used to create a system that works the way you need it to. When you buy a pre-made home management binder, there are going to be sections that may or may not work for you. Why not create a binder that works completely with the way you manage your home/life?
To create mine I used a binder, zippered pouch, 2 packages of paper dividers, perforated note paper, and the calendar insert…
…All from Martha’s Home Office with Avery line. And all oh so pretty!
I also used a few extras that you’ll see below!
The color of the binder isn’t the only detail I love. I also love how easy it is to open and close…With just one touch…
Couldn’t wait to get the contents inside and organized! I can’t show you all of the contents because there is quite a bit of personal and financial info, but I’ll share an overall view and a peek into a few sections.
I started by adding the zippered pouch in the front…
The pouch is large enough to hold your favorite things. My pouch holds my favorite mechanical pencil and a few post-it products I like using for projects/note taking…
The next thing was to figure out the binder categories that work for me and the fam. Then I added the colorful, happy dividers and labeled with clear tape…
With the dividers in place, it was time to fill in the blanks! My first section is this amazing calendar…
Can not express enough just how much Iย love this calendar insert! There is a full month at a glance view at the beginning of each month. Following each month, the weeks are broken down for you with a lot of writing space. My favorite part of the calendar is how organized and thoughtful the days are laid out. There’s a space to write in morning, afternoon, and evening appointments with even more space for additional notes (shaded in teal) at the bottom of each day. Along the side of each weekly view is a great task sheet.
I couldn’t wait to start filling in those pretty spaces…
Loving this!
And because Martha is the ultimate in terms of organization and home tips, she has many more special little details added into this calendar. Her opening statement…
An example of how this calendar can be used efficiently…
A personal reference section…
4-year calendar reference…
A holiday schedule for now through 2017…
Inside the calendar she scattered great tips and ideas too!…
In the back of the calendar, she’s added a section to track special dates…
contacts…
and notes…
Aย always, she didn’t miss one important detail. I’ve purchased many calendars over the years, and this is by far my favorite. No question about it.
I added one small feature to make it easy to get to today’s date/this week…
the next section of my simple home management binder is for note taking. and there is a whole lot of that going on around here these days…
I love the perforated edge of these note sheets. For example, you can create a project list on the main body, add your shopping list on the right…Then just tear off for easy, thorough shopping…
What is the first shopping list I created with my note sheets, you ask?…
I’m an obsessed woman and not ashamed to admit it!
๐
Then it came to the remaining sections, I’ve added note paper sheets or papers that I’ve printed or collected. Anything that needs to be contained in the binder, it’s been hole-punched and popped into place. I also added a few of my favorite household management sheets from Ginny at Organizing HomeLife. Like this awesome neighbor contact list…
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting 2 neighbors already – neighbors that came bearing gifts like jelly beans, freshly baked cookies, wine, and flowers. uuummm, safe to say i’m not moving anywhere anytime soon. Those neighbors absolutely made it to the neighbor contact list….In ink!
Ginny has created a whole host of great home management sheets – for FREE! you can find them all here. and so much more! She is so creative and generous to offer them to us for free. Just print what you need to help make this binder exactly what you’ve been dreaming of.
Or cruise around pinterest to find more free home management printable’s.
You may be interested in knowing my complete list of divider tabs…
here they are!…
Even more details?
* My home master list includes my entire wish list for future home projects here in the new pad. it’s where i’ll keep track of kitchen remodel ideas and details about any big future home projects.
* The school section holds the main district schedule, elementary school schedule, phone numbers, PTA info, etc.
* My home contact list includes utility company info, account numbers, contractor info, and more.
* The emergency section contains names and numbers I need in a pinch. I didn’t want those important numbers getting lost in the bigger home contact section.
* The events section is currently holding the planning details for my niece’s bridal shower. I’m moving home just in time to see my first born niece get married! so excited i’m here for the planning. i’m her matron of honor and am planning her bridal shower – eeekk!!
I am loving my new home management binder! It’s everything i need it to be. And if for some reason life changes things up a bit, which is the norm for this lady, it will be easy to make adjustments. And continue being efficient. Love working on all things home and blog right here in my new happy place!…
…And working in my new binder!
Do you have a home management binder? If not, consider entering this week’s Martha Stewart giveaway for a chance to win a $50 staples gift card…And more!
Back to work over here on my post for tomorrow – my organized blog notebook/planner!
Have a great day, friends!
Thanks for the shout out, Sam! Great job on the binder. Don't you just love having everything together in one place? <3 it!
love this binder, will have to pick one up the next time I am out … I love notebooks but tend to stay away from them as I "need" to be able to re-organized things, so this perfectly fits the bill
Love, love your binder! Makes me want to get over to Staples and do a little shopping. Side question: Where did you get your coffee mug? I'd love to have one just like it as a souvenir from our time in CA that I could use daily.
hey! i got the mug from the city itself. you have to go into a starbucks in the city to get this as well as these awesome gift cards with the bridge on them ๐
if i see one i can grab it and reach out to you for your address!!! have no issue doing that for you!
best,
sam
I'VE GOT THAT GIFTCARD!!! lol Sorry to yell, but I just love that card. My landlady graciously gave it to me shortly after we moved here as a welcome to CA gift and I'll keep and use it forever. I've seen some of the Sbux city mugs, but none caught my attention because they didn't have the colors of blue and red on it like yours does and I just love it. You're very kind to offer and if you ever do see one I'll gladly reimburse you for it! I'll have to keep an eye out around here next time I'm in Sbux; I'm just north of Petaluma so maybe I'll get lucky and find something. Thanks so much!!
I see from the picture of your desk above that some Hog fans miss you. I'm a Fayetteville girl born and raised. I hope SF is treating you well.
LOVE Arkansas!!! Thank you so much! Yes, SF is my hometown so it is treating me very well, thank you!
What kind of computer set up do you have there? I love that size monitor..mind telling me what size it is? Keyboard is different then any I've seen..is there a harddrive(tower)?
Sorry it took a while to respond – I've missed quite a few comments for some reason ;-/.
I have a 27" iMac. Love it! And there is no way I could do all the work I do without a screen this size. Love it! The keyboard is wireless and the mouse is called a tracpad – also both Apple products. Took a while to get used to it but I will never go back to a standard mouse again. You can hop into an Apple store to test them out if you like. No, there isn't a hard drive tower. Everything is inside the desktop! ๐
Where ca i buy the planner/calendar insert? I have been to staples and their website. They only have the discbound notebook with the same planner as your hole punched planner. My fear is that the discbound papers will keep falling out. Please help. I need to organize!
Welllllll, we should be able to buy the planner / calendar insert at Staples – but I fear Martha has discontinued it for 2015. I want to just cry b/c I have fallen in love with these sheets bc there is tons of room. I've been to every local Staples and online – no one has them. I'm working on a new insert now and will share on the blog soon. In the meantime, I'm using my MomAgenda tear out sheets…
http://www.momagenda.com/products.cfm?cID=37&pID=20
Just wondering if you have a good substitute yet for the Martha Stewart calendar? So disappointed its not available this year!
Where can I purchase the hole punched planner/calendar paper? I have been to staples and their website. They only carry the discbound notebook with the planner inserts. my fear is that the disc bound papers will keep falling off.
The discbound papers don't fall out – I too was skeptical, but they have been incredible and stay put.
I am so inspired my this that I am going to Staples ASAP. I have never been organized but made it my resolution for 2015 and seeing how you laid out your binder makes me feel confident that I can create a system that works for me. I am really happy I found your blog (via Pintrest) and look forward to checking out your other tips and projects ๐