It's all about the color purple

AND Pink

dats how I do it

A long while ago I wrote a blog post about organizational styles titled "solving a small problem".  In it I describe my discovery that I am a visual organizer.  That little discovery about myself has been life altering.  I no longer squander my money or time on organizational techniques that are practical, instead I spend my time making my things look cute and color coded, personalized and more fun!!!!  And it works.

One visual organizing tool I have used for a number of years is a home notebook.  I've used one casually for all of the interesting little things that I have needed in the past to run my home efficiently.  This year, however I realized I needed to make a BIG change.  My daughter entered High School.  Suddenly I was always having to sign something and then access it quickly.  Things that in the past would have been relegated to a filing cabinet to be weeded out at the end of the year now had to be accessible all of the time.... everything from grade and assignment tracking (which is now online, that I print out to track my daughter).... charges for individual classes...vaccination records, doctors visits (more visits this past year than in the past 4 years combined).  I was drowning in paper work and having to access all of it at the drop of a hat.  So, I adopted my home notebook and turned it into my peekaboo tracker.

digital artwork by persnickity prints collection entitled spring has sprung

 

 

 

 

 

 

I now have 2 separate notebooks.  My 'home' notebook and my 'peekaboo's home notebook AKA peekaboo's tracker).  The advantage to this....?  When I take her to a Dr.'s appointment or have a meeting at her school I grab the whole notebook and go.  I can then immediately access phone numbers, addresses, paperwork and dates during the meeting.  In the past a lot of this would be in my day planner or digital planner but over time I realized that so much of this info is confidential & I need more than just a quick name or phone number...., the notebook has been my salvation.

So, here are my dividers (tabs) in my daughter's tracker

• seminary
• school contact (ie: phone #'s and e-mail addresses of principle, school councilor, teachers, etc.  along with a copy of her schedules, copies of her progress reports web logins for school related things (myschoobucks, school store, math helps, copies all of the sylubus's that I sign , map of the school & emergency contact information.
• Young Women's
• Immunization records,and list of current doctors
• physical health
• mental health
• dental health
• attendance and grades
• extra curricular activities 

In my home notebook is:

• address book
• individual tabs for each pets (with copies of their vaccination records and vet visits & bills)
• pantry checklist (food storage goals and plans)
• tabs for hubby & me (doctors and dental visits) * although my hubby tracks his own so it's not so bad

So, there's my spiel.  How I make my life function.  So far it's working.
Here are a few more of my recent projects.  All I did was taken a notebook that I was already using and cut & attach some vinyl to make it look cuter and more personalized...ala my need to have it look cute!

my dayplanner *aka* lifeline.  I put a monkey in the 'see no evil' pose.  thought it was appropriate for my day planner.

I have a separate notebook for everything.  This is my notebook I'm using this one in some studying I'm doing right now.

Pontificating on The prodigal son

The Biblical parable of the Prodigal Son has always mystified me a little.

In the New Testament Jesus tells the parable of the man with two sons.  One son asks for his inheritance early and he gives it to him.  This son squanders his inheritance.  He ends up deeply in debt and will be forced to work in a demeaning and menial job.  Finally, he decides to turn to his father for work.  His father sees him returning home and runs out to greet him on the road.  He hugs him and kisses him and wraps him in his robe.  the son confesses his mistakes and begs to serve his father. rather than allowing him to work for him as a servant he throws a huge celebratory party.  His other son feels slighted because he had stayed true to his father and his teachings.  The father chastises the more righteous son and commands that he be merry and glad "for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found."

I always understood the basic underlying message of this parable.  The father is an example of God the Father and the sinning son is us.  However, I was conflicted by the father's answer to the righteous son.  His command to rejoice and accept the brother back into the fold seemed a bit cold to me. 

Lately, I've been doing a great deal of studying.  I've been reading a book titled "Beyond Consequences, logic and control.  A love based approach to helping children with severe behaviors.  Volume 2".  This book is written under the precept that Love really is enough, that we can help our children if we can just exhibit unconditional love.  Which brings up the question.  What is unconditional love?  two concepts that this book presents are:
"unconditional love is love without requiring anything in return- no matter what"
&
"Love celebrates the moment of victory and let's go of the past"

Both of these thoughts made me think of and then re-evaluate the story of the Prodigal Son.  Could the story of the prodigal son be one of the best pieces of parenting advice ever given?  That the ultimate job of a loving parent is to refrain from judging our children, to love them "without requiring anything in return", to welcome them with open arms at every turn? No matter what?

Upon further research I found a talk by Elder John K. Carmack (A leader in the LDS church) titled "When our children go astray".   He says "We are admonished not to judge others unrighteously.  Harsh condemnation of others by us will bring us to similar condemnation from our Heavenly Father."

So, back to my book and another beautiful quote.  "Love stays focused on the relationship and the experience, NOT the outcome".  IS that what our Father in Heaven does for us?  He knows US, knows our faults, knows the mistakes we will make and YET he does not judge us, he just waits and loves us and welcomes us home with open arms when we repent and return to him.  AND if my Father in Heaven does it, should I not emulate him?