What's on my bedside table

And when I say bedside table, I mean "laying on the floor next to my bed."

Food Fights. Got lots of good ideas from this one--basically the gist was not to engage in a power struggle over eating, but continue to present lots of different food varieties.

ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life. This book is wonderful--there are three levels of solutions to all of the organizational problems they address. For example, if you have mild problems with hyperfocus you might try a level 1 solution, like a timer. For moderate hyperfocus problems, find a support person to disengage you. For severe hyperfocus, you might need both plus some drugs! (ok I'm summarizing the last part.)

Gorgeously Green. Lots of good information, product reviews, for the beginning granola-mom.

Checked out all of these at the Temple Public Library in the new section. What are you reading?

My favorite things...

Talking with Abbey yesterday I told her about the calendar my mom bought me for Christmas a couple of years ago that I can't live without now. It's a great pocket file folder calendar that hangs on our office wall. I liked it so much I bought three last year as Christmas gifts. It is just the right amount of organization for someone who likes a little order to their chaos, and that's why I think it's worked so well. Most systems I've tried are too organized and I'm not disciplined enough to keep up with it.

So here's how it works for us. When I flip to the new month I look at everything in the pocket, write little notes if I need to, and if it's really important for that week (i.e. a bill) I'll clip it to the front of the calendar. The best part of the calendar is that the months tear off into standard size real file folders, which is great if you are using it as a tax prep file or receipt tracker.

Here's what (was) in my August folder:

-the list of 19 library books I checked out due August 29 so I don't forget any
-my Gap bill of $48.54 due on August 15
-the Schlitterbahn tickets
-the Astros tickets we got in May
-Audrey's school supply list
-the adoption reference letter I'm bringing to Anna next week
-the Cub Club renewal user name and password
-my receipt to submit for reimbursement when we get the August Health Savings account statement
-a penny. no clue why.

Hope this helps if you're like me and have a million pieces of paper that have no home! And now, to illustrate the delicious irony of me giving organizational advice, a picture of the rest of my office.

Uh-oh. I think this just got added to my before and after.