How Mom Shanna Moakler Gets Organized: To Do Lists

"I love lists and I am constantly making them! It helps me get organized, and when you're organized you get way more done. Parents get so tense when they don't have everything in order. Try taking the extra five minutes to list out what you need before you go somewhere and I guarantee that trip will be much better ... especially with kids!" —Shanna Moakler

Follow reality-mom Moakler's advice and get organized by writing to do lists—and make your life easier. But this tip isn't going to work for you if your list just overwhelms you. Here's how to do it right:

Time it right. Don't write up your to do list at a time when you feel rushed, overwhelmed or stressed You mind should be clear, so you can easily and quickly think of exactly what you need to put on it. So maybe it's right after you have your morning coffee or when you're kicking back after dinner—not as you're about to rush out the door, or right before bed (yawn!).

Keep the list handy. Have a pen and paper at the ready so you can add things to your list whenever items to add pop into your head. If you'd rather keep an electronic list, keep it on your Smartphone or use a tool like Google docs that you can access from any computer.

Be realistic. If you're writing a to-do list of everything you need to get organized before you leave for a trip or every chore you need to get done this weekend, try not to make it so long you'll never get it all done in time. You'll just be setting yourself up for failure—and a lot of stress!