Posts Tagged ‘back to school’

That Dreaded Word–LAUNDRY!

Posted on: August 9th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy Mendler

Now that the calendar has been flipped over to August, the first day of school is on the horizon.

One chore that goes hand-in-hand with back to school is LAUNDRY. Like it or dislike it, it’s a necessity of life in households.

 

THAT DREADED WORD–L A U N D R Y!

In my experience as a professional organizer, I have found that many clients just can’t seem to keep up with the never-ending pile of laundry. For some people, laundry has become a mountain.

If you struggle to keep up with laundry, try some of the following suggestions.

  • Have a laundry hamper(s) in a central location or each bedroom. Multi-section hampers are available to pre-sort dirty clothes into dark and light colours.
  • Gather all your dirty laundry together before starting.
  • Put each child’s clothing into a mesh bag for washing.
  • Socks won’t disappear if contained in a mesh bag.
  • Use a different colour basket for each family member.
  • Keep your laundry area well stocked with supplies–detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, hangers, etc.
  • Limit the amount of clothing you own.
  • Children grow out of clothes so quickly. Pack up any clothes they have outgrown for your younger children. Or pass them along to a friend or relative or donate them to a thrift store.
  • Store winter/summer clothes in a separate area–if possible.
Laundry Sorter
  • SCHEDULE TIME to do laundry on a daily or weekly basis, so it doesn’t get out of control.
  • Wash one or two loads per day. The number of people in your household will determine how much laundry needs to be done.
  • Put a load in the washer in the morning and transfer it to the dryer once you’re home from work. Or put a load in the washer at night and transfer it to the dryer in the morning.
  • NOTE: For those of us who live in Ontario and are subject to time-of-use hydro (electric or power for our friends in the States) rates, this makes scheduling laundry a bit more of a challenge.
  • Hang up items as soon as they come out of the dryer to avoid wrinkling.
  • Fold and put away laundry after each load is dry.
  • Make it a required chore for each family member to put away their clean clothes. Create good habits in the early years!

When was the last time you cleaned your dryer vent? 

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “Dryer lint caused 16,800 fires last year. These preventable fires caused 15 deaths, 300 injuries and about $88 million US in property damage. There are no comparable statistics available for Canada.” Schedule time to clean your dryer vent regularly. For more information, click here.

Don’t let your laundry get the better of you!

Get started and turn over another leaf!

Until next month,

a new leaf-cathy.png



Checklists for University and College!

Posted on: August 30th, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

Get Checking...

Do you have a child heading off to college or university?

Here’s a link to Bed Bath & Beyond’s Campus Checklist and Apartment Checklist.

Here’s a link to Solutions Stores’ Tips to surviving Dorm life 101.

Check out our Homework and Study Area Checklist.

 



Back to School Prep!

Posted on: August 23rd, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

Get Productive...

Check out Good Housekeeping’s 25 Tips to Breeze Through Back-to–School Prep Like a Boss.

Check out Seana Turner’s tips for Managing Children’s Clothing.

 



GETTING ORGANIZED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

Posted on: August 9th, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy MendlerSCHOOL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

It’s that time of year again. The relaxing days of summer are almost behind us. We’ve had such a warm summer already!

If you plan ahead, you’ll be ready for the first day of school.

Let’s get started and turn over another leaf! 

GETTING ORGANIZED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

Planning

  • Don’t wait until the night before school starts to try and get your children into their back-to-school routine. Start a week or two before.
  • The morning routine is under your control. Everyone will have a better day if it starts out calmly.

Clothing

Have your children try on all of their clothing to see what still fits. Make a list of what is needed.

School Supplies

Has the school provided a list of supplies that will be required?

  • First, take inventory of the supplies you currently have. You may not need as many supplies as you think. Check out Katy Wolk-Stanley’s Just Say No to Unnecessary Brand New School Supplies!
  • Stock up during the back-to-school sales. Keep in mind that saving a couple of dollars by running from store to store may not be worth the extra effort involved. Remember–your time is valuable!

If you can, support a School Supply Drive in your area. There are always children in need.

Ensure that backpacks are the correct size for your children.

  • Let them choose one with your help; if they like it, they’ll be more likely to use it and less likely to lose it.

Lunches

Keep your cupboards well stocked with lunch items.

  • Single-serving sizes may be more convenient, but they are more costly. Buying in bulk can cost less—if you have sufficient storage space.
  • Keep a pen and paper handy in or near your pantry to note items that are running low.
  • Reduce the environmental impact of making lunches every day–try to make them litter-less.

Labeling

Don’t forget to label all items your children take to school which need to be brought home each night or week.

Entryway/Mudroom

Have a designated spot for each child’s coat, mittens, boots, backpack and sports equipment.

Homework and Study Area

Make sure that your children have an area to do homework or study that is free from clutter, comfortable, well-lit and as quiet as possible.

  • Pens, pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, markers, paper, glue, stapler, ruler, calculator, tape, scissors, etc. should all have a designated spot. If you’re limited for space, a rolling cart with drawers is great for storing art and school supplies.
  • Keep reference materials handy, so children aren’t distracted by having to look for these items.

Calendar and Scheduling

All activities should be put onto one calendar.

  • Keeping more than one calendar is difficult; it usually results in missed appointments.
  • Label each family member’s activities in a different colour; let your children pick their favourite colour.
  • Limit extra-curricular activities for each child. Try not to overschedule.

Your children need some time to just be kids!

Until next month,

P.S.  Do YOU or someone you know need a professional organizer? TAKE OUR TEST and find out for yourself today!



Let’s Get School to Home Paperwork Organized!

Posted on: September 9th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy Mendler  It’s September!

  Children are back at school, and the first official day of fall is
..almost here. I love the fall with all of the beautiful colours as
..the trees change, although I’m not so fussy about them losing
..their leaves.

I hope you had some time to relax and rejuvenate during the summer. For many people, fall means getting back into a busy routine with meetings, piano lessons and sports activities.

Back to school brings with it much more than structured routines and homework—a seemingly endless stream of paper!

Here are some suggestions to help you handle all of that paper.

ORGANIZING SCHOOL AND HOME PAPERWORK

Designated Paperwork Area

Designate one area where you will deal with paperwork.  Use a tray or basket as an inbox.  Get everyone in the family into the habit of using it.  If it doesn’t go in the inbox, it won’t get looked at.  Remember–it can take up to 21 times repeating an action before it becomes a habit.  Gentle reminders will help the process when you first start.  Perhaps you can offer a small reward as an incentive.

Routine
Having a routine for keeping paperwork under control is critical.  When your children get home from school, have them unload their knapsacks—dirty lunch containers go in the sink or dishwasher, books go to their homework or study area, paperwork goes to the inbox, etc.

Calendar and Activities Schedule
The family calendar should be kept in your designated paperwork area.  All activities should be put onto one calendar.  Keeping more than one calendar up to date is difficult; it usually results in missed appointments.  Label each family member’s activities in a different colour; let your children pick their favourite colour.

Once you add all of your children’s extra-curricular activities to the calendar, you may realize that they are overscheduled.  Remember that it’s OK to limit the number of activities for each child.  Your children need some time to just be kids!

Reference Binder
A three-ring binder can be used to store frequently used information–names and phone numbers for your dentist, school, babysitter, veterinarian or lawn care company.  Lists for children’s sports activities and take-out menus can also be included.

Tickler File
Set up a tickler file.  A tickler file system consists of folders with tabs for each month and day of the month.  This system should hold all of your current household paper—bills to pay, receipts, coupons, wedding invitations, etc.  A file cabinet should contain your non-current household paper.

If you would like further information on setting up a tickler file, please contact us.

Schedule Time for Paperwork
Set aside a few minutes every day to deal with paperwork.  What’s important is that it happens on a regular basis as required.  Review paperwork in the late afternoon or evening.  It is less stressful than trying to deal with it as everyone is trying to get ready and out the door in the morning!

Don’t forget to place signed permission slips, tests or notes into the children’s knapsacks as soon as possible after completion in order to avoid misplacing them.

Artwork and Projects
Is your fridge or bulletin board covered in artwork?  Each child should have their own box for artwork and projects.  Let your child have fun and decorate the box.  Place a folder inside for current masterpieces.  At the end of the month (or whatever time period you decide), ask your child to select his or her favourite piece or two.  You’ll run out of space in no time if you keep all of them.  If necessary, take photos of bigger projects and artwork that they decide not to keep.  Remember to label each box with the year and grade.

Keep it Simple
Don’t make your system for dealing with paperwork more complicated than it needs to be.  Controlling your family’s paper will be much easier if you keep it simple.

Get started and turn over another leaf!



Are YOU Ready to Get BACK TO SCHOOL?

Posted on: August 13th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Checking...


LOOKING AHEAD

Fall and back to school will be here before you know it!

Check out our Getting Organized for Back to School blog post



Time for Back to School!

Posted on: August 12th, 2013 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

It’s almost time for back to school!

Dare I say that while summer is still in full swing. Have you had time to take a break? The heat, high humidity and large volume of rain in late June and July has been a bit too much! Make the most of what’s left of summer–while you still can.

Is organizing your child’s bedroom on the list of tasks before he/she heads back to school?

If so, let’s get started and turn over another leaf!

ORGANIZING CHILDREN’S ROOMS

“I take a very practical view of raising children. I put a sign in each of their rooms: “Checkout Time is 18 years.”  Erma Bombeck

Planning

It’s important to be clear about the functions your children’s rooms have to fulfill before you begin. When it comes to children’s rooms, think about kindergarten. Designate an area for storing each type of item–books, toys, art supplies, etc.

Before starting any organizing session with children, remember to keep their attention span in mind. You might be able to organize for 3 or 4 hours at one session, but most children can’t stay focused for that length of time. Setting a timer is often helpful. It’s also a good idea to schedule a snack break.

Try to make it fun!

Supplies

Use clear storage containers as much as possible, so your children can see what is inside. Be sure to label all containers. If you have young children, attach a photo to the container to make it easier to put their belongings away. Or get your children to draw an image they can attach to the container.

Getting Started

Similar items should be stored together. The most important thing to remember is that items should be stored as close as possible to where they are used. An item is more likely to be put back where it belongs if it doesn’t take a lot of effort.

Arts and Crafts

Plastic storage towers are great for storing arts and crafts supplies.

Art Work and School Projects

You and your children should go through their art work from the past school year. Set a reasonable limit, and let them decide which pieces are their favourites. Store these items in a plastic container or memory box, and label it with their name and the school year.

Some school projects are too bulky to store. Take a photo of your child’s volcano; that way he/she will be able to view it whenever he/she likes.

Check out Artkive–a clutterfree way to enjoy your children’s artwork.

Books

Place books in an open bin or basket so that the covers face the front. If you put them on a bookshelf, young children who can’t read yet aren’t able to identify books by what’s written on them. They identify books by the image on the cover.

Movies/CD’s

DVD’s and CD’s can be contained in baskets or small bins.

Toys

Have your children sort through their toys. Discard any toys which are missing pieces or are broken. Any toys that they have outgrown can be donated. Suggest to grandparents, family members or friends that they could give tickets to a show, a gift card to their favourite ice cream spot or have them contribute to sports activites or lessons, their education fund, etc.–instead of purchasing more toys.

Items which hang on the back of a door can provide storage for shoes, stuffed animals, etc.

Clothing

Remove any clothing that your children have outgrown. Pack up clothing and label containers if you have younger children who aren’t able to wear the clothing yet. Donate clothing to friends, family or a children’s thriftshop.

It may be a good idea to install a lower rod in children’s closets. It can be removed once they are tall enough to reach a standard rod. Young children have difficulty hanging clothes on hangers. Clothing may end up on the floor because that’s easier. Children also have difficulty opening dresser drawers–because they are not strong enough–so baskets on shelves might be a better option.

Getting dressed may be easier if you separate clothing by colour or category (shirts, pants, dresses, etc.). You can also hang clothes as a complete outfit.

For older children—especially teenage girls—you can double your closet storage by adding a second rod.

Safety

When it comes to children’s rooms, safety is critical. Ensure that any heavy items are secured. Bookcases and shelving should be attached securely to the walls. Young children have a tendency to climb.

Reward

Don’t forget to reward your children for all your hard work at the end of your organizing session.

Maintenance

Schedule a daily or weekly clean-up time so that your children’s rooms don’t get too out of control. Make tidying up part of your children’s chores. It may take some time to figure out what works best, and it may be different for each of your children. If all else fails, close their door and remember that they do eventually move out!



Getting Organized for Back to School

Posted on: September 11th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

Cathy Mendler

Fall is here—with its coloured leaves (if you live in eastern Canada or the United States), cool nights, and a crispness in the air!  The lazy days of summer are almost behind us, and we’re getting back into our busy routines.

So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!

“We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.”  Wernher von Braun

ORGANIZING SCHOOL AND HOME PAPERWORK

Back to school brings with it much more than structured routines and homework—a seemingly endless stream of paper!

Here are some suggestions to help you handle all of that paper.

Designated Paperwork Area

Designate one area where you will deal with paperwork.  Use a tray or basket as an inbox.  Get everyone in the family into the habit of using it.  If it doesn’t go in the inbox, it won’t get looked at.  Remember–it can take up to 21 times repeating an action before it becomes a habit.  Gentle reminders will help the process when you first start.  Perhaps you can offer a small reward as an incentive.

Routine
Having a routine for keeping paperwork under control is critical.  When your children get home from school, have them unload their knapsacks—dirty lunch containers go in the sink or dishwasher, books go to their homework or study area, paperwork goes to the inbox, etc.

Calendar and Activities Schedule
The family calendar should be kept in your designated paperwork area.  All activities should be put onto one calendar.  Keeping more than one calendar up to date is difficult; it usually results in missed appointments.  Label each family member’s activities in a different colour; let your children pick their favourite colour.

Once you add all of your children’s extra-curricular activities to the calendar, you may realize that they are overscheduled.  Remember that it’s OK to limit the number of activities for each child.  Your children need some time to just be kids!

Reference Binder
A three-ring binder can be used to store frequently used information–names and phone numbers for your dentist, school, babysitter, veterinarian or lawn care company.  Lists for children’s sports activities and take-out menus can also be included.

Tickler File
Set up a tickler file.  A tickler file system consists of folders with tabs for each month and day of the month.  This system should hold all of your current household paper—bills to pay, receipts, coupons, wedding invitations, etc.  A file cabinet should contain your non-current household paper.

If you would like further information on setting up a tickler file, please contact us.

Schedule Time for Paperwork
Set aside a few minutes every day to deal with paperwork.  What’s important is that it happens on a regular basis as required.  Review paperwork in the late afternoon or evening.  It is less stressful than trying to deal with it as everyone is trying to get ready and out the door in the morning!

Don’t forget to place signed permission slips, tests or notes into the children’s knapsacks as soon as possible after completion in order to avoid misplacing them.

Artwork and Projects
Is your fridge or bulletin board covered in artwork?  Each child should have their own box for artwork and projects.  Let your child have fun and decorate the box.  Place a folder inside for current masterpieces.  At the end of the month (or whatever time period you decide), ask your child to select his or her favourite piece or two.  You’ll run out of space in no time if you keep all of them.  If necessary, take photos of bigger projects and artwork that they decide not to keep.  Remember to label each box with the year and grade.

Keep it Simple
Don’t make your system for dealing with paperwork more complicated than it needs to be.  Controlling your family’s paper will be much easier if you keep it simple.

I invite you to share our newsletter with your friends and family. As well, I welcome your feedback and suggestions.

a new leaf-cathy.png



Homework and Study Checklist!

Posted on: August 27th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

It’s BACK TO SCHOOL time…and it’s time to introduce you to a new checklist!

 

CLICK HERE to view our newest checklist. It’s all about HOW TO SET UP A HOMEWORK or STUDY AREA!



Organize a Homework and Study Area!

Posted on: August 20th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Set Up a Homework and Study Area!

When your children get home from school, have them unload their backpacks—dirty lunch containers go in the sink or dishwasher, books go to their homework or study area, etc.  Let them have a snack and some time to themselves before they start homework.

Make sure that your children have an area to do homework or study that is clear of clutter, comfortable, well-lit and as quiet as possible.

If your children have trouble focusing on homework, set a timer.  Help them prioritize their tasks, so they don’t become overwhelmed.  Have them work on their most difficult subject first.  After that, everything will seem easier.   If they get off track, don’t despair; assist them with getting back on track.  It’s better to get a bit off track than to give up.  Homework should go into their backpacks as soon as it is completed in order to avoid getting misplaced—or the dog eating it!