My list of cards for my Sidetracked Home Executives card file

Several of you commented on this post about my Sidetracked Home Executives card file, asking for my list of tasks each day.

(You can click here to read my very first post about this system where I explain it in more detail.)

So far, I have tried to keep it simple, because the more I try to micromanage my day, the more out of control it feels.

Why?

Well, because I simple cannot manage my day down to the nth detail. I have four small kids. I live a normal, hectic life like most of y'all. This morning I'm cleaning up pee off of my couch. There's not a card that is regularly scheduled for that.

So you'll see that there's some flexibility in them. ;)

Here's my daily list (and I'm still adding to it and taking away, as I see what works for us right now):

-get Em ready for school (dressed, hair, breakfast, teeth, backpack)

-kids' breakfast

-get kids dressed

-walk/exercise

-shower/hair/makeup/get dressed

-breakfast (this card moves around for me, just whenever it fits best. I usually try to grab a granola bar when the kids are eating breakfast, but I still have a card just in case I've gotten too crazy in the morning to remind myself to go eat something!)

-start laundry (wash, fold, put away)

-internet (30 minutes!! email, blog, Noelmignon message board, facebook, bills)

-dishes (wash & put away)

-Bible study (another card that moves around based on how early I wake up... usually by this time in the morning, the kids are happily involved in a pretend game, so I can have a little time to do this)

-Clean one (1) room. (The reason why I do this, and don't have it more specific, is because it just depends on which room is the grossest. Sometimes they all are, and I just need to pick one to get done to make me feel better. This way, every day, there is at least one room that gets cleaned- and by clean, I usually mean, picked up, dusted, vacuumed.)

-Lunch!

-pack lunch(es) for tomorrow (depends on who is going to need lunch)

-Ariana: nap/ Sabriel & Atticus: quiet play in rooms

-scrapbook time for me (yeah, right... I suspect this one isn't going to happen all that often... but one can dream!)

-3:00 pick up Em!

-Sabriel: nap

-start dinner

-Em: homework

-Em: pick out clothes & pack bag for tomorrow
-Atticus: pick out clothes & pack bag for tomorrow (this card rotates depending on the day)
-Sabby: pick out clothes & pack bag for tomorrow (this card rotates depending on the day)

-pick up playroom/bedrooms

-dinner

-bathtime (I'm trying to come up with a good schedule for bathtimes still... I think I may get some of the kids to bathe earlier in the day because we only have one bathroom, and four kids that need to bathe...and one mom to do it all!)

-storytime (This is also when we read a Bible story to the kids)

-bedtime for the kiddos

-pack diaper bag


I also have cards for my design team work; one for each team, and I've got the cards on certain days of the week so I can stay focused on what needs to be worked on in the evenings.

So there you have it! Obviously, we don't stay home every day, so there are some days that this all goes out the window, but it helps for me to have a least some goals & structure to each day. :)

I hope this helps y'all out. I would love to see you guys' lists and the way you structure your days! Leave me your links if you do.

(P.S. Read this post this morning from Simple Mom about our priorities... loved what she had to say and thought it was very timely, in thinking about all these things!)