Down to the Details

This week I bought not one, but TWO planners. (Actually, I bought three, but who's counting?)
If you know me in real life, you know that structure is an ongoing hope in my life. I'm more of a free spirit, really. There are certain things that stay organized for me. I work hard to keep my closet neat, so that I can actually see whats in there when I go to get dressed. I also keep my dresser drawers folded and neat for the same reason. I love washing clothes (Nerd Alert!), so there are usually very few dirty clothes in our house.

I am very organized in the food department with my family. I love to cook, and I don't buy very many things pre-made. I make all of our dressings and sauces from scratch, including now making bread at home instead of buying it. I cook dinner from scratch 6 nights a week. I enjoy it, so it's easy for me.

What I hate? Dusting, bathrooms, floors. Cleaning is a necessary evil.
Also... I can't tell you how many appointments I have forgotten. It has turned into a joke. When my oldest kids were little, I used to call my best friend and tell her all my appointments, so she could add them to her calendar, because she would call and remind me it was coming.

Thus the calendars. What is it about a fresh, new calendar or planner that is so exciting?  Americans thrive on busyness. Ask anyone what they've been up to lately, and the answer is almost always, "Oh, I've been so busy!" It's almost become a badge of honor to be busy. The biggest theme of my life has been about balance. Of not letting one thing take over my entire existence. I have the type of personality that gets focused on one thing, and everything else can get drowned out. This means sometimes the people in my life suffer because I can't put down what I am working on. I also have a sneaking suspicion I am a bit of a perfectionist. This means sometimes projects aren't started because I have an irrational fear of not being able to do it well enough or might not have enough time to finish the whole project in one span of time. This might explain why I love laundry and cooking. It also explains why I will stay up all night to finish a book.

Structure is not optional for me. With four kids spanning 7 to 18 years old, I can't afford NOT to be organized. So I now have a brand new calendar hanging in the kitchen with plenty of room for writing, as well as a family planner in my Louis Vuitton. Now, how to remind myself to check the darn thing?

(In case you were wondering, these are the products I bought. Calendar, Family OrganizHer)

What do you do to stay organized? Are you naturally detail organized?

Dress: Anthr Summer Souffle (similar-ish)
Sweater: J Crew Jackie in Navy (cheaper here)
Shoes: Steve Madden Karisma (in Black)
Belt: Thrifted (similar-ish)
Brooch: Vintage from my great-grandmother (similar here)

This is a "twirly dress"!

This dress is my Reader Outfit submission on Effortless Anthropologie. You can catch the rest of the gorgeous looks here.