Sit down and let me tell you a story about how I am my grandmother.

I lost my grandma…my Nanny…when I was 16 years old. I. Loved. My. Nanny. Some of my fondest childhood memories were sleepovers at her house (where I would eventually live). It wasn’t until I was older that I started doing and saying things that reminded me of her. Like obsessively wiping down the kitchen counter. Or vacuuming three times a week. Or explaining to Mark that the silverware goes into the dishwasher in a specific fashion so as to make putting them up easier: Large spoons in one cubby, large forks in one cubby, small forks in one cubby, small spoons in one cubby…just as they appear in our utensil drawer.

I don’t have full blown OCD but you might say I have somewhat of a Type A personality. Everything is thought through, planned for, and cleaned. But mostly cleaned.

I’m telling you all this because I have to make it clear that I am a compulsive planner and cleaner. Enter the Bullet Journal.

I have used planners for as long as I can remember, but usually give them up after a few months because they’re either too detailed (I don’t need an hourly play-by-play) or not detailed enough (chore lists! I need chore lists!). I discovered bullet journaling back in December and started in January.. I have no plans of looking back.

The beauty of a bullet journal is that there are no rules. It exists solely to make your life easier. Some love to get fancy with washi tape, doodles, massive pen collections, and stickers. Others stick to nothing but a notebook and a pen. I ride the line. I want it to look pretty, but the thought of me spending hours a week on a planner is laughable…I don’t have that kind of time.

So once a week I set aside 45 minutes or so to sit down and plan out our upcoming week. Most use a notebook (Leuchtturms and Moleskines seem to be most popular) but I love the adjustability of a Filofax binder. So that’s what I use! I print free calendars I find on blogs, and the rest I draw up myself.

Today I wanted to primarily share the thing that has made my life sooo much easier: My chore calendar. ❤

My chore calendar exists so that I have 1-2 small chores (occasionally 3-4) every day, ensuring that our house is always at least 85% clean. I never feel overwhelmed by a messy or dirty house, we’re never behind on laundry, and I never spend an entire day cleaning. Because I don’t have time for that shit.

I hear moms complaining frequently about being behind on housework and laundry and I couldn’t recommend this system enough. Y’all, if I can do it with two under two, anyone can.

Tomorrow I’ll share what my weekly layout looks like (as well as some fun extras) and how I set it up!

– amanda