Clever Chic - Katrina from "The Organised Housewife"

I have a confession to make....I have a very organised household.  My wardrobe is sorted according to colour and style with shoes paired neatly underneath.  My bathroom cupboards are filled with labelled containers housing only the essentials. No clutter here.  Alas...the organiser is not me!  Oh I would score points for trying but nobody organises like.....MY HUSBAND!  Yes he even did my wardrobe!  It is true that I have left him home only to find that on my return he has sorted through the pantry, thrown out of date items out, scrubbed the shelves and placed everything back in an orderly grouped manner.  I have found shoes in the bin as he claims he hasn't seen me wearing them in two months, he has stripped our garage and built a shed, just so that our garage can house the two cars without any clutter.  

In my quest to "really" attempt to become a more organised I have stumbled upon Katrina.  Katrina IS "The Organised Housewife".  Through her blog style website The Organised Housewife and Facebook page she is inspiring an army of women to get their lives organised. 

 This year I am really going to need it!  This week I am returning to work part time.  Master O starts Kindy next week.  Then there is cleaning, cooking, preparing lunches, swimming lessons, soccer practice and of course blogging.  I need no I MUST get organised!!!! 

So as part of our "Back To School" series, to help us get our act together before the rush begins, here she is....just another Mummy inspiring others. 

"One Clever Chic"!!!

How did "The Organised Housewife" come to fruition?

My friends gave me the nickname ‘Martrina’ (Martha – Katrina), I am known to bake, craft, keep a tidy home, love organising and create lists/charts.  Over the years I was asked a lot by friends and often by strangers at the grocery store or Dr Surgery “how do you do it”, so calm with 3 kids on board.  I knew my friends would enjoy reading my recipes and organising ideas so I thought I would start a blog, which an friend helped me name "The Organised Housewife"  It has now turned into so much more than I imagined, but I love the direction it is taking me and even more so love the connection I am having with some readers that are desperate to change their habits and create a comfortable home life.

What are your top tips for being organised on school days?

• Set your alarm for a reasonable time, I set ours for 6.30am, snooze for 10 min then up and at it.
• Shower first thing in the morning, it helps wake me up, feel fresh and ready to get the day started.
• While the kids eat breakfast I am making their lunches, I enjoy spending this time with them calm and collected.
• Then it’s rush rush, the routine charts are a very important part of keeping our mornings organised, while I finish off their lunches they are able to look at the charts and know they need to make their bed, brush teeth then put on their uniform, it creates order and less work (ie, I don’t have to make their beds later that morning) and less frustration (no yelling). 
• Plan school lunches prior to your grocery shop so you purchase only what you need and not having to make several trips back to the store.

What is your house like on the First Day of School?

This year will be different as it is DD#2’s birthday.  Apart from unwrapping presents and having a special birthday breakfast (we will wake a little earlier to fit this in), usually 1^st day of school mornings is filled with excitement.  The kids normally wake up like it’s Christmas morning so happy they will be seeing their friends.  I will have all uniforms clean and ready in their wardrobes and more than likely their lunches half packed on the bench.  As it is the first day of school and having to get 3 kids to each of their class rooms we will leave 30 min earlier than usual.  I will plan the morning the night before to work out what time we need to rise to be able to arrive at school on time.  Planning is key and my back to school checklist also will play a major role in being ready for Day 1.

Were you an "Organised School Student"?

Yes, I had to have beautiful ruled red lines, my folders were organised really well.  However, I don’t think my bedroom was all that tidy and clutter free, I do remember getting into trouble for dirty clothes under the bed (which is why I can’t get angry at one of my DD for doing the same thing). 

What is the best piece of organising advice you have ever been given?

Watching Aussie Organising Guru Peter Walsh on Oprah many years ago, this sentence has stuck and I have repeated it so many times.  “If you value an item, it should get honour and respect - not be buried in dust or shoved in a plastic bag somewhere”.

For more information about "The Organised Housewife" including Katrina's wonderful routine charts for school days, click the link below

The Organised Housewife