getting organized

I have so many things on my "to-do" list but yet I seem to struggle just keeping up with daily life. I thought staying home with the kids would also give me an opportunity to do all the projects I've been putting off (scrapbooking, finishing the decorating touches on Sydney's room, touch up painting, etc.).  Yet my day is plenty busy getting kids clothed, fed, napped, fed, exercised and mentally stimulated (if I'm lucky), napped, fed, bathed, and to bed.  And of course they rarely sleep at the same time so there is no such thing as a lunch break for mama!  

Today I did manage to check one minor thing off the to-do list while Tad kept Samuel entertained swimming in the lake.  Boy was I jealous of their fun, but if felt good to get something done.  

It seems I consistently forget things at the grocery store.  So I decided to do what perhaps many others already do:  I created a standing grocery list of items our family buys.  The food is listed in order of location in my grocery store, which I'm hoping will help save me time on my trip.  I have a comments section next to each item for further clarification if needed.  I found many grocery checklists on the web but since they listed off practically everything a grocery store sells they were 4+ pages long.  This list is 2 pages long (1 page if you print front and back).  Here is a screenshot of a portion of the list.

I plan to put this list on my fridge and check things off as I notice they are needed.  If I want to get really crazy, I'll highlight any items for which I have a coupon.  :)  

I used this on my shopping trip tonight and I didn't forget one single thing!  The only problem:  I spent $50 more than usual (though I did stock up on items we typically are not out of).  But I saved gas money as I think I avoided the repeat trips I typically have to make for forgotten items.

Here is a link to download it if anyone is interested; You could customize the excel doc to include items you frequently buy.  I apologize as some of the check boxes are really messed up (there are many on top of each other but you can't tell until you start to delete them).  I just don't have time to fix it right now.

P.S.  I created this on a Mac but it should work on a PC as long as my formatting works in your excel version.