just two things.

Can you believe tomorrow is Thursday? This week is flying by! We are all well and stomach bug free **knock on wood**, back to our regular shenanigans. When the entire family takes a day off like that, it really throws the rest of the week off.

My birthday is mid-March, so I have approximately 2 months left to get my act together to be a bone fide organized adult. I promised myself last year that 30 would be the age that I would finally become a real adult (cue Pinocchio "I'm a real boy, a real boy!") and train myself to do the things that real adults do. You know, things like keep my sock drawer organized. Put my jewelry in a real jewelry box so that I don't find myself franticly searching Wal-mart for a $4 fake pair of pearl earrings

every. single. time.

I get dressed up for a formal event (which in all honesty doesn't happen too terribly often around here.) But still... it is the principal I'm getting at here.

In keeping with this goal that I set for myself, Will's parents gave me two books for Christmas that have revolutionized our household. Not kidding. That may sound a little dramatic, but I'm going to share two little things I've learned from reading these books that has helped me to become more time efficient in running this house and more productive with my time (two very adult-like qualities, wouldn't you agree?)

If you haven't read Tsh Oxenreider's book, Organized Simplicity, it is worth a read. In the first half of the book, she talks about reasons why we should simplify our lives. I agree almost whole heartedly with what she has to say and let's face it, just the crisp and clean book cover alone is enough to get you motivated at the start of this fresh new year.

One of the tools she provides in the book is something she calls a daily docket that is to be filled out each evening before you go to bed. I modified her example to fit my personal needs, but the idea is basically the same. I'm a list person and I love to fill in paperwork (nerd!) so getting to fill one of these puppies out each night makes my heart go pitter pat.

I think I may have it printed up as a notepad so that I can have them readily available all the time.

These are usually the things I would list out on different pieces of notebook paper each Sunday before a new week would start. One for menus, one for my weekly to do list, another for a cleaning schedule. I still have those lists, but they stay in a binder (but that is another post entirely by itself.)

This is what today's looked like:

I love that I can see everything on one sheet and that my day looks somewhat manageable (and the page is just cute to look at.) Just three household chores and I'm done with the house for the day? Bam! I can deal with that.

Pretty self-explanatory, but it really helps keep me focused on what I want to accomplish for the day. So there ya go. You are more than welcome to use my version or create one for yourself if this is something that would help you too.

:)

On to the next thing that came from this book:

Holy Boule recipe! Where have you been all my life?? This glorious, magical book has taught me that I can whip up a batch of dough in lit-tra-lee 5 minutes with no kneading and have fresh bread all week long with no other prep work.

Beeeeautiful I tell ya!

What sort reaction do you think I get when I serve potato broccoli soup for dinner?

Gee, mom. We're just having soup for dinner?

But serve that same soup up with some freshly baked bread and wowza! that soup instantly becomes a delicious meal. (and your children no longer sound like they belong in an episode of Father Knows Best)

Very Atlanta Bread Company, if I do say so myself.

I make a batch of dough on Sunday evening and stick it in the fridge. From it I can make 2 loaves of fresh bread (so yummy you'll forget you aren't at the Macaroni Grill), 1 pizza and 1 calzone. Hmmm... soup, pizza, calzones? Sounds like super SIMPLE meals to me! :)

I wasn't going to share the recipe because I would have scruples about that if I were the authors, but lo and behold if I didn't find it already on their website here.

If you enjoy fresh bread, the book is worth the buy because it has all kinds of recipes and variations to try on pastries and other types of breads.

Wala! So there you have it. Just two things you can use to make life a little easier and/or organized.

Now go forth and simplify your life!