Budding Artists-Taming Your Children’s Art Clutter

As the end of the school year is swiftly approaching, parents are faced with what to do with all the art (and school work) clutter their children have produced.  Now, when I call it clutter, that is not to say we don’t love what our children created, it is just that the shear volume is overwhelming.  It seems as if once a child can hold a crayon, their paper seems to multiply faster than fleas!  But what is more amazing is our attachment to each and every one they create.  Whether it is a masterpiece that Van Gogh would admire, or one that is scribble scrabble (a phrase my kids teachers have used) we can’t seem to let go of our budding artists/scholars work.  And this is only compounded by having more than one child! 

If you were to save each and every piece of paper our children worked on in their 13 years of school, you could fill an entire standard bedroom!  Mom’s who find out I organize homes always ask how they can better organize their children’s art and school work.  They all seem to want to cut it back but don’t know what to let go of.  I mean, how can you let go of something your child created.  It seems like you are giving or throwing a piece of them away!

The good news is the older they get, the less paper work they bring home.  The bad news is you can’t keep it all!  Making the decision of what to keep and what to toss/recycle can be easier if you face it head on.  You need to create a limit or standard and a means of storage of what you will keep.  Each family and situation is different, so there is no set standard, but you can figure out your own set of guidelines. 

I typically save art that is art.  Not the painting swirled in a circle with the teacher writing “A Motorcycle” above it.  I also keep things that show progression in their development.  Be it writing letters, or drawing a flower, or a worksheet, I will be able to look back as see their attempts at mastering a new learning challenge.  Also, I save items that are about them.  A self portrait, a interview from preschool about what they want to be when they grow up, a drawing of the family, an essay of their summer vacation, and so forth.  You don’t need to keep the 4th grade book report they received an A++ on, unless you somehow are related to the person in the story!

Keeping the work you have decided to save can be a challenge.  Here are a few suggestions on different approaches to keeping the memory alive of their precious childhood:

• A scrapbook or file box that shows progression and growth.  Start a the beginning and work your way up to high school.  Make sure you don’t fill books or boxes.   Your child will not have the same attachment to these as you will.  Be picky, and set your limit.  Your child will appreciate that you don’t hand them boxes and boxes of their work when they are adults.  Parents are always surprised at how their children don’t have the same attachment to the items that they do.
• Photo of your child with their art work or school work.   Hang your children’s art/school work on a blank wall and take a picture of them with their work.  You can place multiple works on the wall and have one photo!  You will capture the memory, but save it in a much smaller form.  Also, the glitter and rice (cereal, beans, you know what I mean!)  will not be left in a box for so many years that the glue has disintegrated and left you with a mess!
• Scan or photograph their artwork and school work.  Create a digital scrapbook of their work.  You will be able to arrange a book in no time that shows their development and progression.  This will cut down on the size/volume of papers you accumulate.  This doesn’t give you “permission” to save it all.  Again, be picky about what you save.  Your child will not appreciate your hard work of scrap-booking all they did in school if it is a 20 volume series!  Use what is most valuable, and toss the rest.

Some moms tell me their children may get upset if their work is thrown away so soon after creating it.  For my children, I have a large magnetic board that has their weekly art/school work on it.  This sets a limit/boundary as the board can only hold so much.  As they bring home something new, I have them help decide what should come down to make room for their new work.    You will be surprised at how fast they will take something down to make room for their new creation.  You can see what they value in their eyes, not yours! 

I know all the little scraps of paper that say “I love you Mommy” are so hard to throw away!  But be strong, know your children love you and that you have a limit as to what you can keep.  It doesn’t mean they don’t love you if you need to throw it away!  And a little disclaimer to the toss process, recycle what you can!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

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Sugar High

OK, enough with the candy already.  I can’t believe how, between Christmas and Easter, I can consume so much sugar.  If you have ever seen the movie Elf with Will Ferrell, he talks about the four food groups.  “We elves try and stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup.”  With all the candy from all the holidays, I actually think I may give up sweets until Christmas.  Not… my sweet tooth is too big to give it up completely!  But I do think I need to replace a few Peeps and jellybeans for some carrots and lettuce. 

As I think of my new relationship with vegetables, I feel like I am making a New Year’s resolution for healthy eating.   This will be a positive change in my life (as I kick and scream).  Growing up, I could eat whatever I wanted.  As the big 40 is coming at me like a freight train, I feel like I could eat two carrots all day and still gain a pound.   I have to come to terms with the idea that I can’t eat like I used to.   The same rings true for organizing.  If you have habits that allow clutter to pile up, a change in your habit needs to take place.   The more you ignore it, the worse it becomes!

In trying to create new habits, be it organizing, eating more healthy, or any other positive change you want to take place, you need to be more conscious of your choices.  Being present in your life is a means to making new habits stick.  When we just go through the motions in life, we are bound to the same in life.  Change requires going through life with your eyes wide open and your mind in the game!

I have the following suggestions for making changes in your life that will stick:

1.  Find the positive in the situation.  I could feel angry and deprived that I need to pay more attention to my diet, but instead, I am looking at it with a new attitude.  If I don’t embrace the need for change, no change will happen!  I love the way I look and feel when I am eating well.  The energy I have is endless.  If you are trying to be more organized (or even get organized), find what you do that is actually working.  Do you pay your bills on time?  Do you always keep your keys in a certain place so that you always find them?  When you start to see the good in what you are doing and see the good in what these changes will bring you, you will be more apt to maintain your new habits!

2.  Make a game plan.  If you don’t have a plan, then it is easier to slip into your old routine and habits and nothing will change!  With better eating, I know I need to have my food somewhat planned for the day and week.   When I am busy and hungry, I will reach for a quick fix and not choose healthy foods.  If I eat about every 3 hours, and eat something well balanced,  I will be successful in sticking to my plan to eat better.  If you have a plan of action for your organizing, you will be less overwhelmed with the clutter and be able to tackle your disorganization day by day.  This plan of action will help you focus on your goals and keep your mind in the game.  Knowing what to do next is half the battle!

3.  Be prepared for set backs.  Life comes at us pretty quick some days.  If we are going through the motions, we are hit harder by the unexpected.  Whether you have been traveling and find it hard to eat well or a loved one passes away and you inherit their belongings (not to mention the grief), the unplanned needs to be expected.  I guess expect (and plan for) the unexpected.  We are only in control of our lives to a certain extent.  When you need to deal with other things in life, be aware that this is only temporary.  Be aware that you can and will get back to your plan of action.  I think most people when the unexpected takes over, don’t see how or when things will get back to normal.  The overwhelming feeling usually covers our eyes to our goals and we often give up.  If you know your plan, can incorporate any thing into your plan and be aware of potential setback, you will have an easier time getting back into the game!

With any desire for change, I look forward to the results, yet don’t always like the steps it takes to get there.  I have clients who hate when I come to work with them, but love when I leave.  In life, routine and habit make our days easier to handle.  Creating new, good habits is not easy.  For example, I love any sort of sugar junk food.  I know I will never be able to live without it.  The way I feel after eating a lot of sugar makes me miserable.  But, oh how I love the taste!  Cutting back and being more conscious will make this change easier.  Knowing that the change is for the good will help us focus and stick with the steps you need to take for your desired results!

What change are you in need of?  What steps will you take to make it happen?  Share with us.  Leave a comment on how you will or are living a little more aware of your habits!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

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Are you ready for A Fresh Start?

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, the feeling of new beginnings is in the air.  Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year.  Everything seems clean and fresh.  (Yes, you can tell my mood by how clean and picked up my home is! Mess = Stress)  New plants and flowers, blue skies, warm and comfortable temperatures and fresh green grass make a beautiful picture.  This is the best time of year to create your own new beginnings.  What do you want to change?  What do you want to start pursuing?  Where do you need or want A Fresh Start?

My company name came from the need we all have for the changes in our lives to move in a positive direction.  A Fresh Start is something we all desire when things aren’t working quite right.  My organizing company helps people have a new start in their home.  Whether they just moved into a new home, they are moving out of a home or they need to make their home work better for them, they are all craving a new beginning.  Organizing can help you have A Fresh Start in your life.  Being organized can free up time and space to pursuing new activities, make new relationships and take better care of yourself. 

Most people I find are so overwhelmed with their situation, they aren’t sure where to begin.  Just the thought of starting can create feelings of overwhelm and panic.  I think of when I was in high school and would have a large project or paper assigned.  I would have no idea where to begin.  I would always freak out about not being able to do it.  I would have to break the project down into bite size pieces to get started. 

If organizing your space is a new beginning you want to have this spring, here is a way to break your project down into bite size pieces so you can get the job done and go on to pursue those things you so desire. 

5 ways to organize a room:

1.        Visualize how you want the room to look.  Ask yourself:

a.      What is it you are trying to accomplish in the room?

b.      Who is using the room?

c.      What activities take place in the room?

2.       Sort your stuff.  This is where most people give up, because it always looks worse before it gets better. 

a.      Make sure the items in the room should stay.

b.      Ask yourself if you really need the item.  Instead of thinking that I may use it one day, live for today.  Just because you spent money on it doesn’t mean you have to still keep it.  Think of it as a life lesson and be more careful when you shop.

c.      Separate into categories

                                                                           i.      Trash

                                                                         ii.      Donate

                                                                        iii.      Give to family or friends

                                                                       iv.      Move to another room

                                                                         v.      Keep

d.      For the items you decide to keep, group like items together.  For example, toys and games, beach and pool items, even rags with cleaning supplies.  This will help in remembering where things are when you need them.

3.       Find homes for all your items that remain. 

a.      Where will you use the items? 

b.      Do you use the items often or occasionally?

c.      Keep items you use often easy to access.  Things you use less often are better in your harder to reach areas.

 

4.        Contain.  Containers can make or break an organizing system.  Keep in mind that containers with lids are harder for children to use.  That is one step too many for a child to put things away. 

a.      Make the most use of your space.  Add shelves to utilize vertical space. 

b.      Use clear boxes to see what you have inside. 

c.      Use containers to hold items in cabinets.  You can pull the container out to get to an item easier than knocking down items to get to the back of the cabinet!

5.       Maintain.  Maintenance is the most important means to keeping an organizational system in place.   

a.      Remember “One In One Out” rule.  For every item you bring into your home, you should be removing something else.  This is especially important for clothing and toys. 

b.      Set aside a few minutes a day and a few minutes a week to make sure your systems stay in place. 

These are basic ways to tackle your Fresh Start in your home.  For some of us, the clutter is there for a reason:  we are attached to the clutter, we are overwhelmed by the clutter, we think we may use the clutter, we feel guilty to get rid of the clutter or a combination of  all these.  What ever your reason for clutter, the only way to move forward in your life and stop having this stuff hold you back is to face it.  For some that means someone to help.  If you need assistance, ask for it.  Allow yourself to have the new beginning you are so desiring!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

And get daily tips delivered to you through Twitter.  Follow Me

Help Me…I’ve Been Robbed!

Don’t panic.  I don’t mean this literally, but we all are robbed daily of something valuable…TIME!  There are so many stolen moments that we need to be aware of to make the most of our day and our lives.  If we don’t open our eyes to the things that rob us of our time, then we will always have a nagging feeling  something was taken from us.  We get angry and frustrated when our time has been taken away from us!  I try and use my time as wisely as I can, so that I actually practice what I preach, but sometimes I am not even aware of when I have been robbed. 

Just the other night, our new puppy (who has been a challenge to say the least)  got into my husbands glass of red wine sitting on the side table next to the couch.  We were busy upstairs putting our boys to bed.  My husband usually kisses the kids good night first and then I do.  He is always back downstairs in his spot on the couch immediately.  As I was doing my kisses, I hear my husband say “DAKOTA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!”   I am thinking she shredded a piece of paper or got into the trash again, but never would I have thought she was going to have dyed my golden tan couch a new shade of purple.  We settle the kids back down (who now were curious about the commotion) and I got to work on cleaning the stain.  It was BAD!  As I am scrubbing and trying every cleaner I have, my husband says “Why are you wasting your time?”  In my pursuit to undo the damage, I realized that he was right.  No cleaner I had was going to get this up.  I needed a professional.  Had I not been pulled out of my stealth focus on fixing the problem, I would have spent hours cleaning something that was just not going to come out.  I would have been robbed of the time that I had to relax with my husband and watch our favorite shows together. 

There are time stealer’s taking your precious moments everyday.  Are you aware of them?  Things like long, unexpected lines at the store or post office.  Phone calls where you are left on hold for a long time, a family member or you getting sick, car accidents and traffic are other time stealer’s.  These are things that tend to be out of our control, but we need to be ready for them and how it can set us back.  Also, things like not being prepared (can you say no grocery list and forgetting half of what you went to the store for, then having to go back), waiting to the last minute (like trying to buy your Christmas presents a few days before the big day and getting low inventory and long lines), doing something someone else could or should do (like me trying to get a horrific stain out of our couch) and disorganization and clutter (looking for your keys or an important document) steal our time as well. 

How we handle these situations that potentially rob us of our precious time is important.  First of all, setting time buffers in your day will allow you to handle these interruptions with ease.  If you are overbooked, or even booked close together in your day you will be overwhelmed with the time stealer’s.  Allow some open time for the unexpected.  If nothing happens that day, you will have time to relax and enjoy!  Second, you need to have things to do if something is taking too much time.  Like having something to read if you are stuck at the doctors office, making a phone call while you are stuck in traffic, or cleaning out your purse when you are waiting in a long line.  Carry a book with you, or a pad of paper for notes of things you want or need to do, or fold laundry while you are stuck on hold.  There are a thousand things we could do in a short period of time.  Most importantly, being organized (having an organized home and office) will help you fight off some of the thieves of time! 

Just like the saying, “It takes money to make money”, it takes time to make time.  Give yourself a few minutes at the end of the day to prepare for the next one.  Organize your spaces so you know where everything is and can find what it is you need.  Be prepared for the unexpected with time buffers and having things to do while you are waiting.  You will be the Super Hero of  Time and fight the crime of the infamous time robbers!  (Can you tell I have two boys?!?)

What is stealing your time?  Write your “crime” prevention tips in the comments and help us learn what to watch out for!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

And get daily tips delivered to you through Twitter.  Follow Me