57 March Challenge: Project "Household Binder" {Set Up Binder}

All free printables mentioned within the post are now expired and available for sale!  Please check out my Etsy Shop for a large selection of personalized printables to fit all of your household organizing needs!

  Thank you!

THANK YOU over and over again for sharing your comments and ideas for our March challenge of the household binder!

Since I last posted, I compiled a list of ALL our ideas together!  This was extremely helpful in me adding to my original list and determining all of the categories that would be most beneficial to our family!  Here is what we came up with as a group of category ideas:

• Freezer Inventory
• Fridge Inventory
• Pantry Inventory
• Storage Inventory
• Important School Information/Schedules
• Movie Inventory
• Cleaning Checklist
• Menu Planning
• Finances/Bill Payment Checklist
• Product Warranty Information
• Important Contact Numbers {Contractor, Plumber, Electrician, Yard Maintenance, Financial Advisor, Home and Auto Insurance, Poison Control, Neighbors, etc…}
• Babysitter Note Sheet
• Pet Care Instructions
• Travel Checklist
• Idea Lists/To Do Lists
• Home Inspiration/Paint Swatches/Fabric Swatches etc…
• Blog Posts
• Credit Card and ID Information
• “Weekend Wish List”
• Important Dates to Remember
• CPR Instructions
• Emergency Pack List
• Business Cards/Vendors
• Take Out Menus
• Gym Information
• Check In/Out Library System
• Local Produce Availability
• Personal Goals/Resolutions
• Parenting Resources
• Family Sizes and Measurements
• Computer Log Names/Passwords
• Calendar
• Kid’s Daily Schedule/Routine
• Kid’s Wish Lists
• Greeting Card Checklist
• Medical History
• Auto Maintenance Log

Pretty incredible list right?  The next thing I did was go through and highlight the categories that we would be personally using as a family.  When determining, I asked myself, "Will it create future ease for our family? And do we already have a system functioning well for this category?"  For example, we don't need gym information because we don't have a gym membership.  Easy to nix that one.  I can do a great quick visual inventory of our fridge and pantry {due to many clear storage containers}, unlike both of my freezers, so the fridge and pantry ones are on the back-burner for now.  I decided I didn't want my passwords for important things easily accessible to anyone.  We keep important medical information in a special file in our filing tote.  I also have a great planner so I don't want to duplicate my efforts {like extra To Do lists or Family Fun Idea Lists}, so other items may have not made it onto my final list either.  However, SO important to remember that each and every person and family has different situations and needs.  It's all about tailoring to fit you!   

• Freezer Inventory
• Fridge Inventory
• Pantry Inventory
• Storage Inventory
• Important School Information/Schedules
• Movie Inventory
• Cleaning Checklist
• Menu Planning
• Finances/Bill Payment Checklist
• Product Warranty Information
• Important Contact Numbers {Contractor, Plumber, Electrician, Yard Maintenance, Financial Advisor, Home and Auto Insurance, Poison Control, Neighbors, etc…}
• Babysitter Note Sheet
• Pet Care Instructions
• Travel Checklist
• Idea Lists/To Do Lists
• Home Inspiration/Paint Swatches/Fabric Swatches etc…
• Blog Posts
• Credit Card and ID Information
• “Weekend Wish List”
• Important Dates to Remember
• CPR Instructions
• Emergency Pack List
• Business Cards/Vendors
• Take Out Menus
• Gym Information
• Check In/Out Library System
• Local Produce Availability
• Personal Goals/Resolutions
• Parenting Resources
• Family Sizes and Measurements
• Computer Log Names/Passwords
• Calendar
• Kid’s Daily Schedule/Routine
• Kid’s Wish Lists
• Medical History
• Auto Maintenance Log

The items in PINK are items that I have chosen to use in our binder, create templates for and share on the blog this month!  The items in BLUE are items that I would like to consider, maybe add later, or will be creating a separate binder for.

The next thing I did was categorize is down even more, some items are similar and can be grouped together in my binder.

1. Important School Information/Schedules
2. Movie Inventory, Check In/Out Library System
3. Cleaning Checklist
4. Finances/Bill Payment Checklist
5. Important Contact Numbers {Contractor, Plumber, Electrician, Yard Maintenance, Financial Advisor, Home and Auto Insurance, Poison Control, Neighbors, etc…}, Business Cards/Vendors
6. Babysitter Note Sheet, Pet Care Instructions, Kid’s Daily Schedule/Routine, CPR Instructions
7. Travel Checklist
8. Blog Posts, Calendar {I will use the calendar to better organize upcoming blog posts, however, I will create a generic calendar template that will be versatile for any use}
9. Important Dates to Remember
10. Auto Maintenance Log

• Product Warranty Information will receive it's own binder.
• Home Inspiration/Paint Swatches/Fabric Swatches etc…will receive it's own binder.
• Menu Planning, Freezer Inventory, Recipes, Takeout Menus {I already have some recipes/takeout menus in this binder here, will be adding the menu planning and inventory to that binder}

So in total, my one binder, has now expanded to four all inclusive binders!  WOW!  Who knew?  So I ran back to Target and snagged three more just like the first one I had shown {because my OCD side of me wanted them all to be the same, totally NOT REQUIRED!}

I also picked up more page dividers.  I made to sure invest in ones that have pockets to hold loose items!

Next I created a coversheet for the inside of our binder.  This could also go out the outside if you have the type of binder with the clear plastic cover meant for inserting cover sheets!

Now for your first FREE download {remember, for the month of March only!}

Click HERE to download

When you click the link, you should see a screen like this:

**  UPDATE!  IF YOU HAVE MICROSOFT OFFICE 97-2003, USE THIS LINK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COVERSHEET **

** TO DOWNLOAD AS A PDF, USE THIS LINK HERE  **

Once you download the file, you can open it in Microsoft Excel, to edit your family names, and print it for your binder! {fingers crossed all goes well!}

I popped mine through the laminator.  Then I snagged my single punch {I don't own a three hole puncher}

Then I grabbed a piece of heavy cardstock, placed it under a pre-punched page divider, and used that as a template to make a new hole punching template out of the cardstock.  This way, I always have a pre-made guide for punching all my future papers!

Then, I just punched my laminated coversheet and popped it into the binder!

The rest of the weekend I will be working on laminating and inserting all of my current charts and spreadsheets that I am going to centralize into the binder!

The next steps will entail actually piecing together and building the binder!  Creating our checklists and templates.  I will start plugging away at those to begin sharing more FREE templates next week!

Who's excited about this project?  I am GIDDY excited!  LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about what's going on this month!  Can't wait to be THAT much more organized!  Thanks again to everyone for all the inspiration and ideas!

I decided a little challenge would be fun! This month we are creating a Home Management Binder!  Wanna Join in?  Take photos and blog about your awesomeness as you go!  I am hoping to do a giant, "We did it!" celebratory post where we can all link up our binder creating success stories at the end of the month!