Organization Tips - 7/12

Taming the Clutter

Every year when the kids go back to school I get in the mood to ORGANIZE my home. I usually spend the first couple of weeks going through closets and cupboards and dejunkifying and taming the clutter. I actually find it very relaxing…I know…I have a sickness! (When I was growing up I used to rearrange my room by myself and deep clean it every few months…but I digress!)

So one of the first things I tackled is this cupboard (in the kitchen) above the “business center” in our home. It houses our office supplies, electronic cords, mail, items to be filed (the file cabinet is actually upstairs in my “craft/office/computer” room), kids paints, play dough, etc. Do you see my calendar planner and notebooks on top of the drawers? Love those!

I really like having these small drawers to hold the markers, crayons and colored pencils, etc. When the kids need them, they can just pull out the whole drawer and then (in theory…) replace the drawer when they are finished.

I also have a couple drawers dedicated to “cards”. These include thank you notes, blank note cards, birthday cards, get well cards, etc. That way I am always prepared for any occasion. You know those birthdays that sneak up on you. This way you LOOK like you were prepared all along and you don’t have to make a last minute dash to the store to get something.

I also have a phone number list taped to the cupboard door. This includes phone numbers of people we call frequently and the kids friends. It also has emergency phone numbers so they are right at hand. This list also comes in handy when we have a babysitter over tending the children when the hubs and I have our “date nights”. We also tape up soccer schedules and important dates for the kids schools.

I love having everything in one place. It makes homework time a lot smoother because everything they need can be found quickly. (We usually do homework on the kitchen counter when the kids get home from school after they have a healthy snack).

I have a few more organization projects I have been working on that I will share with you soon. I also have finally finished some home remodeling projects that are also on tap to share!

What about you? Have you been organizing something in your home? Do share! I love hearing what my readers are up to!

★Amy

August 31, 2010 · Filed under: Back To School, Cleaning Tips, Organization Tips, Parenting Help Tagged with

Kids Home Lunch Ideas

43 Comments

I am always on the search to find things to make getting out the door as painless as possible…know what I mean? If your house is anything like ours, quick and easy is a must.

When I saw these adorable labels on Alpha Mom created by Cindy from Skip to My Lou, I thought they were adorable but knew if I wanted to use them I had to get better at organizing my lunch making system. Here is what I came up with.

I pre-printed the cute fruit labels and have them cut out and prepared to slip over the fruit. Cindy also provided some fun little notes to slip into your child’s lunch bag to remind them of how special they are. I also added some post-its and a pen to write my own personal notes when needed. You could even write them before hand and just grab one and drop it in the bag. I also thought some jokes would be fun too. They are some sites online that would have tons of appropriate jokes for your kids.

Then I took a basket and filled it with “mom-approved” lunch food.

We pull out the basket and while I am making the sandwiches the kids pick a couple of items to add to their lunch. I included things like nuts, granola bars, fruit leather, raisins, pretzels, etc.

Then we also have a tupperware in the fridge to hold the perishable items. We included carrots, soy beans aka Edamame (my kids LOVE these. We buy them in bulk at COSTCO.), grapes, apples, string cheese, and yogurt, etc.

I also let the kids have a dessert. Usually homemade cookies or rice crispy treats when we have them. A great way to do this is to make a large batch of cookies and then store them in the freezer and then pull a few out as needed.

My kids do not eat home lunch every day. There are certain school lunch options that they like so I usually let them pick one or two times a week to eat school lunch. We just look online at the school menu on Sundays (when we are planning our week) and write down who is eating school lunch when. Then I know who will need a home lunch on each day. Does that make sense?

I am really excited about this system and hope that it helps to keep the morning rush run a lot smoother! It also takes time to keep the system up. Fill bags when you are talking on the phone , or when you are unloading the new groceries, to save time so that everything is ready to go in the mornings. We also recycle our bags. The kids bring them home in their lunch bags and then I will wash a bunch of them at once and dry them for reuse. I used to NEVER do this…but from years of watching my hubs do this…I have finally been converted.

*Edit–One of my readers posted some fun jokes and downloadable cards for making school lunches more fun for your kids here. Thanks Cap Creations.

I know this is not the only way to tame the morning rush. What do you do at your house to make it to school on time?

★Amy

August 24, 2010 · Filed under: Back To School, Organization Tips, Parenting Help Tagged with

Sand Toys Mesh Bag

16 Comments

I realize that it is nearing the end of the summer for a lot of us and trips to the beach will not be as frequent now for most of us, but I forgot to share this with you earlier this summer.

I bought a $3.00 mesh expandable laundry bag and use it for our sand toy collection. It works great and I no longer drag home a bag full of dirt and sand. It gets left on the beach where it belongs! So simple!

We also learned how to get that sticky, clingy sand off of kids after a day at the beach. Baby Powder! You can also use corn starch which is a bit cheaper and safer alternative to Baby powders that contain Talc. Simply sprinkle a little bit where the sand is sticking to the skin. The powder soaks up the excess moisture and the sand falls right off! It really does work!