Category: Back To School / Kids

Keep Your Cool Technology From Getting Cluttered!

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My family really loves technology. I have a few tech items that I am extremely attached to – my IPhone 5, my IPad and my laptop. But those are just MY gadgets.  Everyone else has gadgets, too. We even loaned the 9 year-old an old IPhone 3 to use as an IPod touch (music, games and apps, no internet or phone usage) on a recent long-distance car ride.

So between 5 people, we have 4 phones, 3 IPod touches, 3 Nintendo 3DS handheld games, a couple of Kindles and digital cameras, and my IPad. Plus 3 laptops and a desk top computer, and an xBox 360 and Wii.

We embrace our technology, but the accompanying clutter can be maddening! Here are some ways we clear our tech clutter, try a few for yourself this week!

Tame the snake pit— I mean— chargers and cords.

1.  Dedicate 1 charging station. Image

  • We use a surge protector strip on the kitchen desk. Maybe you need more than one, for different family members, but limit yourself to one or two stations, to help keep track of necessary items and share resources. (Do this when you travel, too, so things don’t get left behind!)
  • Charge where you work. I leave my IPhone charger cord plugged into my laptop, and charge my phone while I work. My husband keeps an extra phone charger at the office.
  • I received a MOS organizer, http://mosorganizer.com/, to review and test in my office setting. A great gadget, the MOS Organizers is a magnetic object that holds the end of your charging cord between charges. The attractive 3.5” whiImagete triangle holds the charger cord end and keeps it from dropping off your desk/ charging area when not in use.
  • My hubby also received a very cool “Powerbot” wireless charger for his phone. He only needs to place his phone on the disc, and it charges! No more cords! (this only works for select tech items, though).

2. Match up your chargers with your current tech gadgets (phones, cameras, IPod, etc.).

3. Label the chargers / cords:

  • Tag the chargers with labels listing tech item type (camera, GPS, cell phone, etc.), date and owner’s initials. If you don’t have a labeleImager, you can also fold a blank mailing label around the charger cord, and jot the initials on that.
  • Bundle the cords. Most are longer than necessary. We use cord coils (picked them up at Office Max), to rein in the chaos.
  • ImageOr try bundling the cords with different colored Velcro straps (each person gets their own color), or even patterned craft tapes.
  • I have to share a suggestion to hang charger cords in the inside of a cabinet door with command hooks when not in use (check out all 34 of these awesome ideas, http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/how-to-de-clutter-your-entire-life
  • Or these handy charging ideas, http://www.workingmother.com/content/desk-control .

4.   Any chargers or cords not matched up with a tech items? Put them in a freezer bag, with today’s date and an expiration / recycle date on it, about 6 months from now.

5.  When in doubt…   Occasionally, I will put all the cords away in the drawer under the charging strip. I figure, everyone knows which cord is theirs, and will take out what they need. And things will look tidy for a while!

Keep your Apps and Updates up to date. At least once a week for my phone, I download all the app and system updates available. I update my IPad occasionally, too, but not as often as my phone.

Set limits.  No phones at the dinner table, or after 10 pm. The wi-fi to the kids’ IPods turns off at 10 pm, and all tech items are left in the kitchen overnight. No one needs to send or receive texts after 10 pm. When the boys were younger, we set TV limits, too, for example, the TV in the basement was set to only age appropriate programming.

And unplug sometimes. Seriously. I love my technology, but I like to just talk to people, too. And nap. And read, like an actual book. And go hiking. And tickle my son.

So, spend just a little time this week, and clear some tech clutter!

Command Center Part 2: Your Paper & Scheduling Challenges (& Solutions)!

A few weeks ago, I asked my FB friends to tell me their most and least favorite things about their Command Centers.  And because I know absolutely awesome people, I received great input and ideas!

The biggest challenges for my contributors were Paper Management and Scheduling.  There was a third area, Technology, but I will address that in a separate blog article!

So, Command Center Paper Management and Scheduling ideas – here we go!!!!

Paper:

  • Did you know?  There are three main types of paper: Active, Passive and Archival.  And each requires slightly different handling.
  • Active (requires an action):
    • If a paper needs returned to school, sign it immediately, note any necessary info on your calendar of choice, attach a check or cash if necessary, then send it back to school.  Right away!
    • Tuck Bills-to-Pay in their own folder, so everything’s together when the weekly bill-paying time comes.
    • If the action required is to jot down a date or details in your planner, make time to do this everyday.  Maintaining our active papers daily keeps them from building up.
  • Passive (keep for a predetermined amount of time, then purge):
    • If you keep schedules or notices for upcoming events on hand, keep them all on one single clip, with the soonest event on top.  Keeping too many notices or reminders causes visual clutter, and we stop really seeing what’s in front of us.
    • Kid papers – admire-then-purge daily papers, if possible.  If papers need to be kept for a few weeks, tuck them in hanging folders per person, and purge monthly.
    • Display kid art on the fridge, and purge old items as new ones come along.
    • Purge passive papers ruthlessly!  Once a week is preferred, once a month is a Must.
  • Archival (papers we expect to make a permanent record)
    • Keep a binder per person for long term papers, or papers you want to keep.  Each of my sons has a binder for their academic records, award certificates, team photos, etc., organized by academic year.
  • With each piece of paper in hand, ask yourself a few questions:
    • What is the next action to take on this paper?  (Act, File, toss)
    • If I choose to keep this paper, why am I choosing to keep this paper?  For example:
      • Academic records?  someone may ask for it some day.
      • Today’s completed and graded spelling test?  No one needs it anymore.  And no, your child will not want to look at it again in 20 years.

Scheduling:

Many of you have scheduling challenges, and I absolutely understand.  My sons, while awesome!!, are often a little light on calendar and event details.

Good scheduling requires regular effort, strategic planning, cooperation from all participants, and communication!  Communication is key.

We have planning sessions with both parents and two teenagers, typically on Sunday night after dinner. The 9 year old gets the highlights and then is dismissed.  I keep everyone’s calendar in MS Outlook, so our planning sessions consist of making sure everyone has the same information in front of them.  We had one a few weeks ago, we probably need to have another one this week since we just added another sports team and schedule.  My husband and the teenagers use Google Calendars, so they can synchronize their own pertinent info, and invite me via email to important events.  I have not yet made the switch.

A few of you asked about scheduling “consequences / rewards”, but I don’t give parenting advice!  However, we have a few guidelines:

  • If you want to add an event to the calendar, tell me in writing / text/ email so I won’t forget it
  • You are one person in a 5 person household.  Keep that in mind when making time and event requests.
  • If you didn’t inform me of an event with adequate warning, it’s possible you may not be able to attend.  You know I will always try, but the answer may be “no”.
  • At any time, the answer may be “No”. And school, family time and church can trump anything else.

If your challenges are also paper and scheduling, try one of these solutions today!

Five (Really!) Simple Steps To Start Menu Planning!

Many of my clients have “Start Menu Planning” on their list of projects. And many never get around to it.  Meal planning is such an invaluable practice, for home management and peace of mind, nutrition and wellness.  People know Menu Planning is a good idea, but getting started proves too daunting.

Why Bother with Menu Planning?  Spending 30 minutes once a week to menu plan will:

  • Save money (shopping the sales, using coupons, using your food better)
  • Save time (plan ahead, cook once and eat twice)
  • Decrease stress. (Avoid the 4 pm emergency grocery run FOREVER!)
  • Allow more flexibility in your schedule.  (Be in command of Dinner Time, instead of a slave to it!
  • Provide better nutrition for you and your family.   (Home cooking is almost always the most nutritious, and family dinners are the foundation of family communications!)

But you probably know all that, just like my clients do.  So the hurdles are still “How do I start?  Where do I start?  What is the small first step that I need to take to start making this good idea a reality?”

Start Where You Are, with What You Have.  And Start Right Now. 

It takes little time and no tools. 

Just start.

  1. Start In Your Kitchen, not at the grocery.  Take an inventory, and base your Menu on what you have.  I was recently in a client’s kitchen, and she had made a list of what was in the freezer.  Brilliant!  Most kitchens I am in have too much food, which means most of us more challenged by “How to use what I have?” than by “Help, the cupboards are bare!”  So, now that you know what you have…..
  2. Make a list of your Family Favorites, and start with those (and not intimidating new recipes).  Start with meals you know your family will eat.  Have everyone list their favorites, and work those into your plan.
  3. Start with just today.  This morning, look in the kitchen and decide what is for dinner.  Decide on your dinner time, thenIMG_1520 check your recipes, if you use them, to determine when you need to get started.  Now pull out 2 baking dishes.  Load one on the counter with the non-perishables to make dinner tonight.  Put the other in the fridge with the perishables.  If you are feeling really ambitious, plan breakfast and lunch while you’re at it.
  4. Do this every day for a few days, until you get the feel for how it works.  Now go the next step, and plan a few days ahead.  Look at that!  You’re Menu Planning!
  5. Be open to changing your kitchen and your habits:
    1. A client suggested buying an extra set of measuring scoops to leave in your canisters.  The largest scoop can go in the flour, second largest in the sugar, third largest in the brown sugar, etc.  Or go to the dollar store, grab all 1 Cup scoops, and leave those in every canister. (thanks LG!)
    2. I am working on a chart for my kitchen cabinets.  The list contains all the items that I tend to use, and how many of IMG_1285each I need in a typical 2 week period (that’s how often I do my major grocery shopping).  For example, if I tend to use 4 cans of tomatoes every 2 weeks, I need 4 on hand, or I need to add some to my grocery list.  Your grocery stores have re-order points, consider this inventory control.
    3. I may not have mentioned it lately, but I love my crock pot.  At least once a week, I spend 20 minutes and assemble dinner at 8 am.  I love coming home those days to the smell of dinner cooking!
    4. A friend shared this link on Facebook, just as I was editing this article!  http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2014/03/plan-prep-party-3-steps-to-a-cooking-at-home-habit/
    5. Also, go to www.cookingwithchefkate.wordpress.com, and sign up to receive Kate’s blogs.  She has a handy “search option”, and so many of my new favorite recipes come from Kate! (and she is a friend and just delightful!)  Check it out!
    6. Use your prep time for twice the impact.  Soup is on today’s menu, which is great because I can spend 10 extra minutes, clean and cut all the carrots and celery I bought the other day, and have carrot sticks for snacks and diced veggies for a meal later in the week.

So, I hope I have taken some of the “overwhelm” out of getting started with Menu Planning.  It really is a great practice, and saves so much time and money.   Start In Your Own Kitchen, Start Small – Just START!

Our Home Command Center, more Command and more Center!

This week I want to share a small project that made a big impact in my kitchen – not too overwhelming and sooooo useful!

First, if you’d like, I wrote this a while ago, for more specifics:

ImageYour Command Center: Knowledge is Power

Your command center is the information hub of your home.  Perhaps it’s a desk, maybe just a kitchen counter or table near the door.  But everyone and every home needs one.

Calendars and schedules, contact lists and team rosters, incoming mail and bills to pay, school supplies and reference materials.  Yep, all of this can be in a command center.

I reworked ours last week.  It took less than an hour, and this is the after picture.  I wanted to post it first, since it is a nice visual, and it makes me happy.

The command center surface is not large (by design), but it is in the kitchen, the very center of our home. That keeps it front and center, accessible to everyone – but that also means that it gets cluttered, and when it does, I have to look at it all the time.  And that occasionally drives me crazy.  So here are the before and after pictures, and my comments:

  • Always start with a plan.  I know what I do and don’t like about our current arrangement, plus what I wanted the updated space to look like.
  • I cleared everything off, and wiped down the space.
  • I moved some books out that belonged on other bookshelves, and I Imageeven (gulp) got rid of the desk encyclopedia.  I kept the dictionary, thesaurus and bible, because I encourage my boys to actually look stuff up instead of asking Google.  However, the desk encyclopedia was mine.  From high school.  And that was a loooong time ago.  So it went away.
  • Before, I had trays available on the kitchen desk for each child.  Not surprisingly, while school papers and assignments moved in and out, other stuff just piled up.  So the sloppy side-by-side trays were replaced by a vertical tray.  Much better.
  • I powered through the school supplies, and ruthlessly purged what the boys don’t or won’t use.  Buh-bye.
  • The charging cords and surge protector still drive me crazy, but I’ve been keeping the cords clipped up when not in use, or in the desk drawer underneath.  And I received a very cool produImagect to review for an upcoming blog that may help with this, so more later…
  • I went with “pretty”.  I don’t always care what my organizing tools look like, but since this area is seen by anyone walking through my house, I invested in matching and attractive items.  Nice, clean lines.  Ahhhhh…. (that is a contented sigh, by the way)
  • A vitally important but often neglected part of a Command Center is the day-to-day attention and maintenance.  I made sure that only current information was present in the Command Center.
  • I recently read a suggestion, to have a “waiting” folder, with items waiting for follow up.  Like rebates, reimbursements, copies of applications, etc.  So I added one to our existing files.
  • So, in under an hour, I improved the look of the most lived-in room in the house, pared down and cleaned up our information, and cleared some clutter. Look around – Do you have a Command Center?  Is it time for an update?!  Give it a try! Image

As Maggie Says, Now There’s More Room to Dance!

Last week, I talked to two clients about productivity and time management.  Both are struggling to get more done, personally and professionally.  These high-performing individuals, Bob and Sue, have systems in place to take care of their personal and professional tasks.  But they, and we, often get distracted from maintaining those systems.

Sue, one of these two wonderful, productive and hard-working people, went so far as to say she was “lazy’.

I have a problem with the word ‘lazy’. Actually, it makes me cringe.  I never assume a person is lazy, but I think we all lack motivation, focus or a plan sometimes.  And I try to be more positive.  No, dear client and dear readers, you’re not lazy.  What is more likely is that life got in the way, as it often does, of being productive.  So let’s talk MAINTENANCE!!!

We have systems, we know what we “should” do, to move ourselves and our homes and our careers forward.  But we often get caught up in survival mode, and forget about taking a little time once or twice a day or week, to get back to the small tasks that helps us maintain order in our lives.  Bob has great time management tools that he’s used successfully (time blocking, face to face communications, email strategies), but he has fallen away from using them with some office changes this month.  Re-committing to proven, effective strategies is a lot easier than coming up with new strategies!

I got a wonderful email today from Sue about her maintenance efforts over the weekend with her family.  She said I could quote her, and since she says it best, I will!

“’Maintenance isn’t happening’ is a kind way of saying we’re lazy.  It’s true, and we’re teaching the kids bad habits by our example.  My new mindset is to keep removing the clutter, even if it’s in little steps.

Yesterday…I set a timer and cleaned for about 1.5 hours, giving us enough time to get ready for church and not be late.  After Mass we played in the snow, and then I cleaned the living room.  I met family for dinner around 3 pm, then came home and cleaned the dining room.  Hubby got rid of stuff while I was gone and Maggie worked at her stuff too.  Little pieces of cleaning made ALL the difference in my world yesterday.  Instead of complaining, I worked the problem until it was finished.  … We still need systems in a few areas, but there were more pressing jobs that needed done first, like getting cleaned up and cleared out so that we can start fresh habits from clean and organized spaces. 

I’ve decided to get to work, with Maggie working at my side.  Hubby tackles 1 or 2 small jobs before he goes to work each day because I know that works for him.  Weeknights are full with full time work, dinner and homework, so weekends work best for me for Maintenance.  I really took to heart your comments about finding out what day / time works best to deal with household maintenance chores and embrace it.  It’s ok to not go gang-busters during the week, but maintenance must be done during the time that’s been assigned to it.

You certainly got me rethinking my shredding/recycling locations while I was cleaning/de-cluttering my first floor.  Plus, after we took out the leaves in the dining room and put away the extra chairs, it was amazing at how much larger the space was…even Maggie noticed and said it was more room for her to dance in. 

 We just did some redecorating… the next job is getting some new area rugs, but the best part is seeing the space when it’s clean and clutter free with enough room for us to dance.  It’s so calming when it’s like that and because I know this, I know it’s up to all of us to keep it that way.  Doing even little things each day with help us all live better, less stressful lives.”  (Thanks, S!!!)

Indeed.

Working with a client yesterday, I mentioned this week’s blog topic.  We had just cleared out her large coat closet and entry way, and restored order.  We hung up things that had fallen, set aside things to be dropped off with errands and donations, and generally maintained the organization we had established on previous visits.  We agreed that she knew what she “should” do, but had just fallen behind on actually doing it.  We cleared clutter, and indeed, Maggie, Now There is More Room To Dance!

More SnowDay Organizing Projects – Kids can Help, and Have Fun, too!

Oh, for goodness sake, another snow day.  Well actually, a Cold Day.  Bitter wind chills, blizzard force winds and new snow overnight. I understand the caution, truly I do.  So, despite having an 18- day Christmas break, and a three-day weekend last weekend, here we are with more days all together in the house.

If you, like me, are wondering how to get a few things done and still have fun with your kids, can I suggest a few organizing projects? The following projects are useful, quick, kid-friendly and should require no new items to be purchased, since it’s too cold to leave the house.

Clean out your pantry / cabinets: 

Little kids can help pull everything out, and sort like items with like (for example, even a 3-year-old can sort cans of different types of veggies by the picture on the front).  Have school-age kids who can read help you determine expiration dates, and toss all the expired or stale stuff.   Talk about service and charity with your kids, and set aside a bag of items to donate to your local food pantry.

Bake some cookies with the random bits of whatever you may find (in my cabinets, 3 bags of pretzels, a partial bag of white chocolate chips and some left over candy canes are inspiring creativity in me!).  Make a large pot of soup with what you find, and leave it simmering on the stove all day to humidify the air and make the house smell good.  You could really get creative, and have your kids plan this week’s menu with you, based on the current contents of your kitchen.

Clean out under your sinks. 

Bathroom?  Kitchen?  Laundry room?  The process is the same, regardless of what room you are working in!

Pull everything out, wipe everything down.  Combine partial bottles of similar items (I often find 4 or more partial bottles of dish soap, body wash or shampoo under client sinks!).  Use containers you have on hand (kitchen storage containers or plastic baskets) to corral small items and keep them from getting lost.

Consider how many of certain items you really need.  Kitchen sink – how many plastic shopping bags?  Bathroom – how many partial / sample / hotel bottles of anything?  Yep, combine and then recycle.

Clean out the Freezer:  Here’s a link to the project:  June, 2011 Kid Convenience And Nutrition in My Clean Freezer!

     The kids can help, though you may want to be the one pulling everything out so little hands don’t freeze!  Everyone can help sort, you can purge or plan the next meal based on what you find.  I want to make my own bread crumbs, and I know there are some neglected ends of bread loaves I can start with!

Review and Purge the bookshelves:

We just did this a few days ago and it’s a great project to do with your kids.

Put all the books together (meaning, collect them from around the room / house if necessary), and sort what you have.  Consider your child’s reading levels, and purge the books that are too young for them (keep some treasured keepsakes, of course, but not too many).  We have some more shelves to review, but we already have a bag of books set aside for our young cousins, and one bag to donate to the local library.

Put Things AWAY.

Have you been waiting for the right time to finally put xxxx, yyyyy or zzzz way?  Well, guess what?  Today is that day.  Per my friends on Facebook, many of you may have the following things to put away:

  • Recycling
  • Business cards and Christmas greeting card envelopes, to update your contact list
  • Socks to finally get matched up
  • Home / personal paper filing, recipes and paperwork
  • The last few Christmas decorations that you took down last weekend
  • DVDs / Wii games to put back in cases
  • Photos!  Every seems to have photos to print / use / put away / scrapbook / file
  • Shoe clutter by the back door, as well as weeks worth of hats / gloves / sweatshirts / etc.
  • Business receipts to file
  • Cords and connectors
  • Kitchen counter clutter
  • craft items of every description!

Today is that day!  Set a timer, and spend half an hour just putting stuff AWAY!  OR longer – again, with another snow day, you all have the time!

So, stay warm, relax and hang out in your jammies, if you’d like.  And spend a little time creating order in your home with your family members.  Today is the day!

5 Tips for the Wake Up / Clean Up / Eat Up / Get Out Process!

I recently read this blog article, “20 Unproductive Habits You Should Let Go“, and this was #10:

“#10:  Not having structure.  You don’t need to set a rigid schedule for yourself, Sergeant Crazy! Creating a general morning and evening routine will give you creative pillars to depend on so you can take more risks throughout the day.”

I l-o-v-e this statement. – imagine, general morning and evening routines give us a base for operating more fearlessly throughout the day.  Awesome!

There once was a teenager who abandoned her routine on days off.  Sleeping late, eating irregularly, not showering or getting ready as usual.  Sounds pleasant enough, until sleeping and eating late caused migraines, and not-getting-ready meant that she couldn’t be spontaneous or on time when she made plans with friends.

We can see the trouble so easily with the teenager, but fast-forward this scene to adulthood.  We all know, and may even occasionally be, the late sleeper, irregular eater, unwashed masses or non-routine person, which is fine once in a while.  But most days require us to get up and moving.  And a little planning can make morning time and anytime flow smoothly, providing both strength and structure, and flexibility and creativity.

Here are some tools and tips to make the wake up / clean up / eat up / get out process go better.

  1. Make it your Own.  Wake up early and do yoga or write.  Wring every ounce of sleep from your pillow and sleep late.  I won’t judge.  But if you tend to sleep late, minimize your shower routine, lay out your clothes the night before, and grab granola bars and apples for a portable breakfast.  Don’t let me tell you what to do, do what you want.  Just plan ahead.
  1. If you’re in charge, Focus!  Eyes on the goal, Mom or Dad!  The Goal for the Morning Routine is  getting everyone to school / work prepared and on time! I get up and shower by 6, so everyone else can stick with their routines.  But early morning focus and motivation are often lacking!  So I have to look past my pillow, or my IPad for email and Facebook, or my work and to-do list, or even the novel I was reading in bed last night.  Some mornings require lots of internal reminders and hard-won discipline, but I must keep my eyes on the goal to get us where we need to be when we need to be there.
  1. Make it a Team Effort: Whenever I present to parents, I encourage a team approach and asking for collaboration from children when establishing morning routines.  We all want to feel that our opinion matters, and that we have control over our situation.  Set the examples, and discuss what needs to happen and how.
  1. Keep it Simple. It may sound counterintuitive, but if you are maxed out, keep morning chores to a minimum and just cover the basics.  I have a bad habit of loading too many things into my morning: juggling wake up times with drop off times, fitting in writing and emails and billing and scheduling around drop-offs, drop-ins, laundry and spelling words occasionally makes me me crazy.  So I try to limit my work tasks before 8:30 to bare essentials.  As a self-employed business owner with a non-traditional schedule, that’s a challenge, but I try!
  2. Slack off occasionally, but still stick with routine:  Even on days off, I still get up early, shower and get ready.  So when the little guy asked to get donuts at 7:15, the answer was yes!  We could have fun and be flexible over a box of munchkins and a bagel because we had stuck to our routines.

So, rise and shine, give your morning routine some thought and Get Going!!  Have a great day!

Scared of your Late Afternoon? Conquer the Witching Hour!

witch hatAround our house, we call the 3pm to dinner-time span the Witching Hour.  I find that time of day the most challenging.  At work, my energy and focus lag in the late afternoon.  At home, the kids arrive home from school hungry, and tired but wired.

We struggle to strike a balance between: warm, welcoming and relaxing; and the business of our lives, dinner, homework and getting back out the door for evening activities.

So, if you find the late afternoon a challenge, too, here are some ideas to make it a little less evil….

  1. Take a moment or two when your energy starts to lag, and refocus your brain and energy.  Assess what you still need to accomplish today, clear out brain clutter, and recommit to getting your tasks done.
  2. If you need a break, take a walk, grab an ice-cold glass of water, and take a few moments of calm.  At work and at home, everyone around you will benefit from a calmer, more-focused you.
  3. Lay out tasty treats.  I was inspired by this after a party, when the kids re-plated on a serving dish veggies and dip, and crackers and cheese after school.  It takes no time to chop some fruit and add a couple of sliced hardboiled eggs and crackers.  I have been trying to reach those recommended 5-9 servings of fruits / veggies a day, and this could help!
  4. Banish the TV and any other screens unless they’re used for homework. For example, computers and IPads for homework purposes are fine, but not for play until the homework is done.  And if the homework is done quickly, send them outside for some exercise or to the family room for some Wii action!
  5. Put your family to work.  Kids of every age can help make dinner, set and clear the table, take out the trash or put laundry away.
  6. Encourage independence and organized habits.  Have hooks available for everyone (kids and adults, too!!) to hang jackets, accessories and backpacks, and make it a habit.
  7. Remember the homework basket (http://colleencpo.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/an-organized-work-space-for-student-success/)?  Keep a basket at hand with the supplies your children need for completing their homework.
  8. Collect papers and process all at once.  Pile today’s mail, the contents of my briefcase, any papers that came home from school, etc.  Then open the mail, recycle/ shred / purge anything you don’t need, file papers you want to keep, and act on the papers that need completion.

A word here…. As I wrote up these ideas, it occurs to me that all of these ideas are good for all of us, adults and children alike.  Take a breather, refocus, eat a healthy snack, banish the TV, help each other, encourage independent and organized habits. Good for all of us, all the time!

I hope these ideas help you with your Witching Hour, too.  Try one or two this week, and let me know how it goes!

It’s 6 pm – Do Something to Help Today & Tomorrow!

I presented to the parents in my local school district last week.  We discussed tips and ideas to help our students get organized.  What a great group!  I loved speaking to all of them, and I also loved how everyone was willing to share challenges and ideas to support each other.

A Question I ask in my presentation is “Why should we bother getting organized, especially if we have kids?” We realize we are the parents, the Adult, and we set the example.  We want our children to do well in school and in life.  We want our lives to be less complicated, less stressful and more enjoyable.  And we want to be able to say “Yes” to new things. 

So, how can we set the example?  Get organized, be less stressed, enjoy life more.  This week and the next two, we’ll look at busy family times of day, evening, morning and after school.

Let’s say it’s 6 pm.  What can you do tonight that will make tomorrow run more smoothly?  Try one of these:

  1. Pack lunches for tomorrow (for the kids, and for you!!).  We use our lunch packing time to discuss nutrition, and what goes into a healthy meal. I have also found that the kids are more likely to eat a lunch they had a say in packing!  We pack lunches after dinner, so often the boys will pack leftovers like refried beans and cheese on a tortilla, or a piece of chicken.  And since we’re in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner already, it takes just a few moments to pack lunch for tomorrow.  If I have clients the next day, I will pack a lunch for me, since my lunch will always be healthier and cheaper than the fast food that is available between clients.
  2. Look at tomorrow’s Schedule:  Typically, our after-dinner adventures lead to checking out tomorrow’s schedule.  We check to what’s on the hot lunch menu, who has to be at school early or late, and who has what activities.  Checking tomorrow’s schedule provides an opportunity to place band instruments by the back door, and pack sports uniforms, a snack and water bottle for practice.
  3. Make time once a week, like Sunday night after dinner, for a family meeting /      planning session.  Review together projects and events for the coming week.
  4. Pack up the backpack tonight, after homework is done, and set it by the back door.
  5. Check the weather forecast, and pick out tomorrow’s clothes.   If you have small children, lay out their clothes on the floor in the shape of a person, facing down.  Then they can climb right in!
  6. Solve tomorrow’s problems today.  Because there is still time to go to the grocery.  Maybe this only happens in my house, but have you ever heard at 7 am, “Hey Mom,      by the way, I need 4 2 liters of soda for the band party.”?  The obvious mom response is “When is the party?”   And the answer is… wait for it….  Today.  So start the conversations early!  Another example:  the oldest son mentioned late last Tuesday that he needed to wear his black suit coat to his concert Wednesday night.  That would be the black suit coat he wore to homecoming, the one that was at the dry cleaners.  So first thing Wednesday morning I retrieved the now clean coat.  I am very glad I found out about it the day before, instead of at 5 pm Wednesday!
  7. Get to Bed on time!  All of You!

So, take a look at just this one part of your day, and how to make it better by being more organized and less stressed!  Let me know what works!

7 Tips to Run Errands Better!

I don’t know about you, but with 5 busy people in my house, I run a lot of errands.  Dropping off, picking up, shopping, occasionally returning.  And between errands and shuttling my family here and there, I spend a lot of time in my car!  Few things irk me more than having to re-run an errand because I forgot something or didn’t plan ahead, and so I make every effort to run my errands well and get things done the first time.

Here’s how:

If you know something needs done, do it soon.  I encounter “all or nothing” people, who don’t take care of personal business for weeks and then expect to run 20 errands ranging over 40 miles in 3 hours.  This is unrealistic, inefficient and destined for failure.  If time is an issue for you, consider shopping or returning on-line.  It may cost you money in shipping, but saves hours in errand time!

Have a Master To-Do List.  I always have my Master To-Do list on my phone.  Several times a day, I update it with errands and tasks and synchronize it with my computer.  Errands on the list include:  Routine / weekly errands (farmers market every Thursday, dry cleaners every Friday, pay Kohl’s bill on the first of the month); and episodic errands (drop off flag, purchase clarinet reeds, new dress shoes for A.).  I attach a date to all of them, then group them based on my schedule.

If you’re in your car a lot, too, run your errands on the way to somewhere else.  For example, when I used to work in the city, I frequented the post office, dry cleaners and grocery store that were on the way to my office.  These days, I am more likely to lump my errands into bigger blocks of time, based on a free hour or two some weekday morning.

Make a plan:  Think through today’s to-do list and each errand.  This past Saturday, I planned to shop for myself at one store, return stuff to another, shop for a gift at a third, and buy groceries at a 4th.  As I planned, I pulled my gift certificates and coupons for the first store, and located the receipts for the returns.  I packed shipping materials and labels for the gift, so I could box it up and ship it out as soon as I purchased it.  Then I made sure my cooler bag, reusable grocery bags, coupons and grocery list were in the car.  I had quite a pile of stuff to go, but I got everything accomplished in the time allotted!

Bring your tools.  I have an errand basket at the back door for returns, receipts, items to go to other people, etc.  Right now it contains a CD to go back to my brother and a flag to drop off to a fellow scout leader.  My Iphone is also a tool, to google store locations and directions.

Keep details with you:  I keep regular purchase details on my IPhone.  Along with the contact info for my local Office Max, I list the printer ink I use, to reference if I need to pick some up.  Attached to the contact to my local music store is the type of clarinet reed my son uses (I never remember).  In addition, I have my family’s current clothing and shoe sizes, plus gift ideas, in case I find myself with motivation and opportunity to shop.

Remember you are super but not superhuman.  Take a snack.  Take a water bottle.  Take a deep breath, take a break.  Then get back to it.

I wrote this for a friend I chatted with last week about how to make the most of her on-the-road time. I hope it helps you with that, too!!  See you on the road!