A New Challenge - with The Organised Housewife

Here comes September at a rate of knots and with it, a challenge that could not have been more perfect for our life right now!

I've sung (The Organised Housewife) Katrina's praises before - I love the way she shares her ideas, routines, and her always gorgeous printables. I also love that she's not afraid to admit that she's not perfect, and that sometimes life can knock you for six, and it takes an effort to get back into the swing of things.

Her 20 Days To Organise and Clean Your Home Challenge is the answer for the times when life gets in the way and you need a kick start. 

I had an epic EPIC meltdown on the weekend, one of the "Why am I doing everything and why can't you all just do things my way and for God's sake turn of that damn tv or I will stab you" emotional, screaming, messy meltdown.

I crave order and control and I have been let down enough to not feel like I can't rely on anyone. Everytime we start again, everything goes well for a day or two, maybe even a week, but then everyone dies off, the same old habits creep back in and we find ourselves back at square one.

I had signed up to Katrina's challenge as soon as I saw her post appear in my feed, and I'm glad that for once, we are not trying to navigate through a kick start on our own. This time we are going to make some new habits, and everyone in the family is getting involved.

Well, you know, she's not going to mend my fragile state, and glue the shattered relationship back together for me (oh if it were that simple) but a reset in our organisation - our day to day tasks, knowing that things are done so we can all get back to eating pancakes and going for long walks on Sundays - that's going to do a lot for my control freak head, and this little family's hearts.

And if you're not, you know, NUTS, like I obviously am, it's a good way to make Spring Cleaning a lot of fun this year!

There's still time to sign up for the 20 Days to Organise and Clean Your Home Challenge... you just need to go here:

What are you waiting for? Go join, I'll wait here.

*cue elevator music*

Okay, so it's pre-season week, and the first task is to set up a binder for all the routines, lists and lovely printy things that we will be using throughout the challenge. 

I have already repurposed every binder I own... so today I purchased a heeky lime green one that everyone can recognise easily, and which will match my kitchen, where it will live.

While I was over at The Organised Housewife I also downloaded the printable monthly calendar for September, which you can see poking out from the bottom. I have always told myself I would use these, but true to form I forget and by the time I remember it's almost time for the next month.

I printed it out and filled it in straight away and it's on my pinboard in the kitchen. No more excuses of the "I didn't know" or "I forgot" or "You didn't tell me" variety. And did I mention there are three different styles so you can choose the one you like best?

Katrina, you sure know the way to a stationery-obsessed girl's heart. 

Day Two of pre-season is to assemble your clean kit, so pop back tomorrow to see how mine looks, and share yours with all the budding "Organised Housewives" joining the challenge.