Sleep trumps everything, so let’s talk about that  first. If your toddler wakes up every time the baby fusses, consider keeping your newborn's crib in your room until he sleeps through the night. We kept our twins in a crib in our bedroom until each was sleeping through the night (otherwise we'd have had their 3-year-old brother to placate at 2 am as well!). And don’t even think of moving your toddler to his big sib's room now; his world is shaken up enough.

The easy part of this answer is to start carrying a calendar! Bring a planner that’s appropriate for you--either paper or electronic--where you can include everyone’s schedule.

Stop it at the door. Instead of bringing it into your house so it can breed like mold, throw away and recycle junk mail first and foremost. Then make a home for the rest, such as unpaid bills and unread magazines. If you find yourself drowning in pieces of paper, remember that those piles represent delayed decisions that you are going to have to make sooner or later.

Are your kids watching TV while you’re sweating? Instead, give them jobs that are appropriate for their age level. Realize it won’t be perfect. You have to let go to get to “good enough” rather than “perfect.”

Most people don’t know where to begin. Here’s what I say: Begin where you spend most time in the house. Don’t start with a project to clean up the basement or garage. Yes, they look awful, but they’re contained. Instead, start where your daily life is most affected.