Homework Haven – Organizing Your Homework Station

OK, I can’t really say I understand why teachers give so much homework.  I don’t see why children are in school all day long and then are given 2 hours of homework a night.  I guess this is all in preparation for the real world when we take work home with us and are attached to our PDA’s.  None-the-less, I still detest homework, just like I did when I was in school.  Maybe it is my own memories of hours of homework that just make me cringe when I sit my kids down to do theirs.

I have to be honest.  My oldest son will be entering 5th grade and the school he attends starts homework at this grade level.  I know, don’t hate me, but I am freaking out!  My son hated doing his easy reading homework the past two years and his occasional book report threw him over the edge.  This year I am going to be aimed and ready for battling helping him.

First and foremost, I know a good study area is important to keeping the focus on the work assigned.  You may be thinking, she is just starting homework with her son, so what does she know…long story short, we have moved numerous times and we have attended schools that assigned heaps of homework.  His kindergarten had 12 worksheets a week with coloring on each page, enough to send a 5 year old into tears.  I have talked with my son to find where he thinks studying will be best.  He has chosen his room at his desk.  I asked him because I value his input and want him to take ownership in his work.  Whether you have a desk in your child’s room, a place a the kitchen table, a place in the family room or a desk set aside in your office, a space designated for homework is key.  (Hey, I did well laying on my bed, although my wrist suffered from the numerous leaning sessions!)

Once you have found the best location for homework to take place, make sure it is free of clutter and distractions.  Don’t have piles of papers on the kitchen table and expect your child to have great focus.  Also, if working in a room, make sure the toys are kept away from the study area.  Kids will be distracted easily and you can’t expect them to want to do homework when they are surrounded by things they would rather be doing!

After you have cleared the space, stock your study area with the tools they need to get the job done.  Don’t have all your school supplies away from the area, or they will have to get up to get what they need and will lose focus.  If they will need a ruler for homework, keep one in arms reach.  Do they need additional paper, pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, or calculators? When setting up their work area, keep these in stock.  If your child will work in a transitional area (kitchen table) then keep these supplies in a caddy or box so they can bring it with them to work and put it away when they are finished.

Finding the best time to get the homework done is a must in getting the job done efficiently.  If you wait until 8 pm to get started, the kids will be tired and it will be hard for them to focus.  I have found that if you get them right when they get home, they are still in school mode and you can reward them with play time.  This works for me, but may not work for you.  Have your children help decide what is the best time for them to get it done, because if they have ownership in the decision, they will have ownership in the results.  Take into consideration practice schedules and when their neighborhood friends are playing.  If their friends are outside playing while they are working, you will never get your child to focus on their work.  Talk to the neighborhood moms to see if they have a set schedule for homework.

Finally, make sure the area they are work in is comfortable.  Would you want to sit on a hard chair for two hours?  Also, don’t forget they need adequate lighting.  How would you want to be working?  Make sure they are well fed for the energy they need to accomplish their work.  A cranky, hungry child will take longer to get the job done!

I still wish there was no homework assigned, but since I will not have my wish granted this year, I am going to have a great attitude with my child.  I am determined to make it as great an experience as I can so he will not go in with a bad attitude (OK, the bad attitude will be there, but I will try and curb it as best as possible!).

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – 5 Tips for Organizing Your Back to School

For a few years there was a commercial (I believe it was for Staples) that ran for back to school shopping.  It had a casually dressed father soaring on a shopping cart shopping for back to school supplies.  The kids walking behind him were absolutely miserable.  The music playing is a Christmas song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year“.  For most parents, after a long summer break, they are ready to get their kids back to school.  I know personally I love routine (or should I say I thrive on routine) and summer makes me a little crazy with the relaxed schedule.  My husband is probably reading this thinking, “yeah she could lighten up a little”, but thought process is easier for me when there is an agenda for the day.  I am one of those excited parents dropping off my kids on the first day.  I love that they are in a controlled environment and I don’t have to listen to them fight for a few hours!   I miss them for awhile during the day, but soon enough they come back to me.

For most kids (at my sons’ school the term kids is thought to be reserved for baby goats, but I still can’t help but use it!), going back to school is torture.  They are exhausted, nervous and feel overwhelming dread about sitting in a classroom and studying again.  Not to mention homework!  Since when did parents have to host a second school session at home with hours of homework.  Maybe that is just the way school is preparing them for the real world…our work is never done!  I am not aware of one family who actually can’t wait for the homework to be assigned, yep, not one!  I can’t blame children for hating homework, but again it is a life lesson to build a functioning, working  adult.

How can you make this transition between summer lazy and school crazy go off smoothly?  One solid way is to start early.  I mean, don’t think you can travel the weekend before school goes back, let the kids stay up late until the day before school and expect to have a high functioning child in the chaotic morning!   Organizing your daily routine ahead of time will be beneficial to all in the long run.  Here are a few ways to make sure going back to school is less of a headache and more of a celebration (even if it is just yours alone!):

• Move your kids bedtime back 15 minutes a night for 3 weeks until they are going to bed at a decent hour.  If your school bedtime is 8 pm, don’t expect your child to willingly go to bed then if they have been up until 9:30 every summer night.  This will slowly get their body clocks back to where you want it. 
• Make sure you have your morning routine down before the first day.  Almost like a fire drill, practice your busy mornings a few times before the first day.  Plan an early morning activity on those days that will help mimic a school departure.  For example, have an activity planned in which the kids will need be dressed, lunch or snack packed, and books or activities to take along with them.  
• Practice preparing the night before.  We know mornings are chaos, no matter how well you plan something inevitably goes awry. Get as much done the night before as possible to avoid the screaming “Hurry!  We are SOOO late!”  chants we parents love to cry! 
• Let your children know what will be expected from them.  If they have chores, after-school activities, and homework, there is little time for play.  Have your child see where their time will be spent on a calendar and help them to realize time management (IE don’t waste time) is a huge role in allowing them enough time to be a kid, too.  The sooner they do what is expected of them, the sooner they have time to do what they want (within reason of course).  Let them know when they will have to do homework and when they can have fun.  Establishing this type of a routine will help in the transition.  If you establish the rule upfront, you will get less hassle once school is underway.
• Help them establish routines.  Work with them to find out how they would like to do things.  If in the morning they would rather eat before getting dressed, then see how productive they are when doing that.  Even if you would do things another way, taking ownership and responsibility for themselves will help them actually do what they are supposed to do.  Guide when necessary, but don’t lecture and tell them “I told you so” when they realize maybe this isn’t working.  We all make mistakes and part of growing up is learning from them.

Give yourself enough time to get the kids ready for back to school, so it really can be The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!  Next post I will talk about school supplies and setting up a homework station.  Also, I have previously posted more Back to School tips here on my blog…check them out:  http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/2008/08/.

What have you been doing to help ease the transition of back to school?  Let us know your tips and tricks by leaving a comment below!

Looking for More Together Time with Organization

May 26, 2009

What image comes to mind when you think of spending time with family? Is it interaction and conversation? Is it fun activities or relaxing vacations? What we think of and what actually takes place can be so very different. We are so busy with technology, work, school and activities that we actually could be in the same house, yet we don’t spend any time together. No wonder families feel so disconnected!

Oprah (yes again, an Oprah topic) recently had on families who were taking part in a “What Can You Live Without” Experiment, Part II. She profiled two families and followed up one single mother from Part I. All families were living with excess, both physical items and activities. One family spent time together in the home by adjourning to their prospective space (bedroom, recliner, office) where they would thrive on technology. The computer, video games, cell phones and TV were high priorities to the family. They were so “busy” with their gadgets they didn’t have time to spend together. They would text each other in the house to talk, instead of walking to the other room to talk. Technology can be a helpful tool and entertaining, but it can also suck up your valuable time like a Dyson vacuum.

The other family showcased wasn’t spending quality time together either. The biggest complaint was that mom was busy working and would come home late from work. As the episode went on, you could see home much this hurt the children. They lost themselves in iPods and video games, and ignored the underlining problems. They also bought in excess and never really thought twice about it. To show a portion of their excess, they pared down their pantry. The excess food was purged and brought to a food bank. The family had an eye opening experience of what it would be like to not have food in their home. The family was changed for the good. Possibly the problem was the parents were working so hard to give their children so much, but never realized what the children really needed – more together time!

What is getting in the way of your family spending time together? Are you really achieving your goals or are you chasing your tail? Is what you do in your daily life bringing you closer to your goals, in balance with your values? Are you living in excess? If reading these questions make you stop and think that there needs to be some change in your life, relax and know it can be done.

Through organizing you can clear the excess and clutter in your home. The organizing process helps you to realize what you actually need in your home and what is truly excess. This doesn’t mean you get rid of everything and live in a tent. This means you live with what you need and use to function in your life. Now, that isn’t permission to keep everything. Really decide what you use and need. All the “stuff” can occupy your time; having to maintain, clean and care for it all.

In order to organize clearly, you need to prioritize. What are your goals? What is important to you? Where is your time wasted? Are you busy checking email and not checking in on your children’s life? We all think we are using our time wisely, but we tend to waste our time on matters that don’t line up with our priorities. Really look at your schedule and see what is unnecessary. Also, look to see what you can delegate and purge in order to realign your time with what is important to you.

Are you getting Together Time? How do you spend quality time with your family? Where can you improve? Let us know and get the support from those who know what you are going through. We would love to be on your journey with you.

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 

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

Help Me Please!

Is the help you are receiving making your life easier or more frustrating?  Management requires organization and delegation.  Whether you are managing a Fortune 500 company or a family of 4, you need to utilize the skills of others on your team.  While I can’t give advice to Fortune 500 companies, I do have advice for those of you managing yourselves and your home.   I meet many clients who have the same complaint, the people who help them run the house don’t put things back where they belong.  They spend a large amount of time rearranging things after someone has helped.   What a waste of valuable time!   The fastest way to solve this problem is through good communication upfront.  You cannot expect someone to remember where things go if they don’t know ahead of time. 

Following are a few tricks of the trade to help facilitate good communication with your help.  Whether it is your children doing chores, your spouse helping with the house work load, your childcare help, or your cleaning person/staff, use these tips to make sure the help that is given is a good use of their time and yours!

• Labels – Labeling is one of the key ingredients in house communication.  If you label the shelf for linens with what sheets go where, then there is no question when someone goes to out the sheets away after the laundry is done.  Also, they can see what they need quickly and easily.  If you have people who help you around the house that don’t speak fluent English, use labels in both English and the language they speak fluently.
• Notes – If you need to let someone know something, and you are not there to actually speak with them, leave a note.  Also, if they don’t speak fluent English, try using BableFish   http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ to translate a note for you.  Clear communication is essential. 
• Repeat after me – Make sure, especially for children, have them repeat what is expected of them after you give instructions.  Now this is not to belittle your help, it is to make sure you have clear expectations.  There is nothing worse than trying to explain something and getting a blank stare.  Asking them to repeat back to you will help ensure you have made your point of what needs to be accomplished.
• Pictures – Pictures are a great way to show what it is you are talking about.  Also, if you need to remove something to clean, and then go to put it back, can you remember exactly where everything goes?  Pictures speak a thousand words!!!  Create a photo book for your cleaning staff, or one for your family.  They can refer back to it to make sure they know where things go.  This works great for cabinets and closets, too.  When unloading a dishwasher, those who are helping may not know where everything belongs.  The pictures will assist when someone doesn’t know where things go.  You will avoid “losing” things!
• Be specific -  Make sure they know what it is you need help with and what it is you want as a finished product.  You can’t expect.  If you want to have help, you can’t expect people to live in your head.  They will not know what you want unless you explain it to them.  Many times we hurry through explanations and don’t give enough information. 
• Demonstrate – Especially for children, if you want something done a specific way, make sure you demonstrate for them.  Some people learn and remember by visually seeing what to do.  Walking them through it will also help those who learn in a  tactile manner.

Many people don’t utilize their help because they worry it won’t be done right.   They think they might as well do it themselves.  No one person has the skills, abilities and time do do it all.  Use your help!  Clear communication will save you time and money.   Remember though, if you use your manners with good communication, you will have happy helpers!

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

What are we teaching our children?

Yesterday, I had my children assist in one cleaning project that I so badly wanted to get done, cleaning our wood shutters.  We don’t have a large house and we don’t have shutters on all the windows, so I thought this would be fun, easy and most of all quick.  Well, not so true on any of these thoughts.  I had envisioned giggling and talking while cleaning.  I had envisioned my boys finding the joy of a job well done.  Well, this was SO not the case.  I had to break up the fights (“your not helping”,  “I was working on that side”) and motivate ’til I was blue in the face!  I practically took over the job because I just wanted it done and done right.  I came in behind and redid their work and basically finished by myself.  So what kind of lesson did I teach my boys?  Looking back, not a very good one!

I believe we need to teach our children at a young age that the family is a team.  We work together to get things done.  No one should be the sole person to clean, declutter, organize and be responsible for the home.  If you don’t get everyone involved to help, the one person doing all the work will eventually blow.  Running a household, whether you are a stay at home parent or a working parent, is a lot of work.  Having a team effort to keep the house running smoothly is vital.  The quarter back doesn’t win the game alone, neither does the pitcher.  Good team management will make a big difference in your home being calm and loving, versus chaotic and angry. 

Kids at a very early age can be taught to help.  The more you include them in household chores, the better adults they will grow up to be.  But you have to approach it in a fun and loving manner.  Not the case for me yesterday.  Here are a few suggestions on how to make the learning and teaching process run smoothly:

1. Establish Chores.  Check out the chore chart below.  Have your children pick the chores they feel they want to do and can do well.  Involving them in the decision process makes a big difference in their willingness to participate.  Even a 3 year old can do this. 
2. Set clear expectations.  Explain in detail what you expect from them.  If you simply say dust the shelf, and don’t say make sure to take everything off, or dust in the corners, you can’t expect they will know to do that.  They will do the minimum job expected.  Make sure your child(ren) repeat back to you what is expected so the communication is clear.
3. Set reasonable expectations.  This was my mistake yesterday.  My kids couldn’t reach the top shutters and they shutters were so dusty they required a little more elbow grease then I had originally thought.  A quick run of the Swiffer Duster wasn’t doing the job.  They didn’t realize they weren’t doing a complete job.  They were just doing what they thought was good. 
4. Don’t swoop in and do it for them.  Realize their abilities and don’t set them up for failure.  If they see you coming in and redoing their work, their confidence goes down the tubes.  As was the case for my oldest son, who said “I am trying my best, and you don’t care!”.  Whoops, I needed a reminder that they were trying and my doing it for them wasn’t teaching them anything!  Accept their limits and don’t expect perfection.
5. Remember your manners.  Would you want to have orders barked at you?  Would you want to listen to constant criticism?  Give praise, say please and thank you, and most of all, tell them how much their help helps you!  Let them know how more hands getting the job done will free up time to do more fun things, like play a game together or read a book to them. 

My best advice is to make the process as fun as you can.  Crank up the music.  Turn things into games.  Set a timer to see how fast they can do it (only if they do a good job though).  Reward with fun activities.  You can also reward with money, but I feel that I don’t get paid to do things around the house, so why should I pay them?  Choose your motivation and reward system and let the kids know ahead of time what they get for their hard work. 

See below for the chore chart.  This is just a general guideline, so don’t worry if your child isn’t there yet.  I paid my twin sister to do my laundry for a few years until I understood how to do it myself!  She got the sorting process way before I did.  I was intimidated and would rather pay some of my allowance than face my fear!

Chores for Every Age:

Toddlers:

·         Put clothes in the laundry basket

·         Put toys away (where they belong)

·         Take things to the trash can, such as if you are opening your mail or clearing the dirty napkins at dinner

Preschool:  Same as above, PLUS

·         Get dressed

·         Pick clothes for the next day or the week (give limits such as “choose a short-sleeve shirt, a pair of shorts, underwear, and socks”

·         Help match socks when folding laundry

·         Put folded laundry away (pre sort as you fold, grouping what would go in each drawer or cubby)

·         Help set table

·         Help clear table

·         Wipe off table

·         Deliver items to another room (such as “please put this book on the self in the office”, or “please put the mail on my desk”)

·         Help unpack groceries

·         Help make/pack lunch

Kindergarten:  Same as above, PLUS

·         Make bed (even if it is putting pillows on the bed after you fix the sheets)

·         Tidy up their room

·         Help unload dishwasher

·         Pack backpack for school

·         Follow a morning routine

·         Get the mail

·         Empty trash cans, into a larger trash bag

·         Put a new trash bag in a trash can

·         Help hang up shirts in closet

 First and Second Grade:  Same as above, PLUS

·         Clean their room

·         Take trash out to outside receptacles

·         Sort dirty laundry

·         Sweep floor

·         Yard work (rake leaves, pull weeds, hose off patio)

·         Help put groceries away

Third and Fourth Grade:  Same as above, PLUS

·         Vacuum

·         Load dishwasher

·         Walk the dog

·         Help with meal preparation

·         Bathe themselves

·         Make breakfast

·         Pack lunch

Fifth and Sixth Grade:  Same as above, PLUS

·         Take on weekly responsibilities, such as take out the trash to the curb, fold laundry, and clean their bathroom

·         Be responsible for their homework and projects with a calendar and schedule

Seventh Grade through High School:  Same as above, PLUS

·         Iron clothes

·         Make dinner

·         Wash the car

·         Take on a part time job or babysit

·         Be responsible for managing their money, with guidelines on how to save, give and spend

College:

By now you have given your “child” the necessary skills to be a responsible young adult.  If they are living at home, they should be responsible for doing all adult chores just as if they were living in an apartment on their own.  They should be paying rent and/or doing things to contribute to the household chores and budget.  By this time you will have created an independent young adult that wants to do things to help both physically and financially.

I know I will be working more on my ability to let go of  “perfection” in order to teach my kids to enjoy their chores more!  I hope your team will be on the winning end of the chore battle!  Let me know if you have any tips or ideas you would like to share on how your get your kids to help more!

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

The Clutter of Costco?

As I was working with a few clients recently, I started to wonder, when did Costco take over our lives?  I grew up in Virgina and don’t remember anyone ever going to a warehouse store.  We had friends with many kids (3 or more) and I can never remember opening a cabinet that was filled with toilet paper or giant boxes of cereal.  I have been wondering when did we feel the need to buy in bulk?  Growing up in the 70’s in Virginia, we only had one car.  My father commuted to Washington, DC on the Metro.  We didn’t go to the grocery store every day, but I never remember my mom or dad stocking up cabinets.   I don’t remember a pantry, just a cabinet with food in it.  I remember one shelf in our linen closet that held extra rolls of toilet paper.  We had just enough.  When did we become unsatisfied with just enough?  At some point in our culture, we decided that we needed the bigger packages.  We now have the clutter of Costco!

OK, before I get lectured about the benefits of warehouse stores, this post is not to discourage your shopping at places like Costco, just to get you to think before you buy such large amounts.  Can you not pull your car in the garage because you have shelves full of paper products?  Just because it is a good price does not mean it is a necessity in your life.  And what about the bulk packages of staplers…do you really need 4 staplers in your home?  I hear many people say they can’t get out of Costco for under $400.  Most of the time it is because we are so distracted by the deal, that we forget whether or not we really need the product itself.  We are living for the future, “I will need it and use it eventually”, instead of living for today.  I think it is funny that we have a much greater ability to get what we need when we need it than we ever did before, but somehow we purchase as if we will never have the opportunity to go shopping again.  Like the stores will somehow disappear off the face of the earth!

Here are a few ways to make sure you don’t get caught up in the Costco fever when you enter the store:

• Shop with a list.  What do you really need?  Are you there for food, yet some how are in the book aisle?  Are you there for gifts, yet somehow come out with a bulk pack of vitamins?  Stick to what you need.  Otherwise the excess becomes Costco clutter!  If you aren’t going to consume, wear or use it anytime soon, you need to store it.  And storage for most people is an issue in and of  itself.
• Shop with friends and family.  Many times we waste money by buying in bulk because the food goes bad before we can use it.  Also, storing the items can be a real challenge.  Where is all the extra going to go?  When you shop with  friends and family you can split items, like fruits and veggies, cereal, and even toilet paper. 
• Shop with a budget.  Make it a challenge to get out of Costco for a set amount.  Can you beat the limit? 

Being realistic with our true needs will help us make the most out of Costco.  Costco is actually thriving in our economy.  People are now in the mind set to save money.  But we can get caught up in the deal and forget about our needs.  Buying in excess means throwing away food that has gone bad, and paying to heat/cool areas that are filled with excess is not saving us money in the long run.  Also, think about the time spent organizing excess.  Finding homes for everything can be a real challenge.  Are you spending time trying to make room for 30 rolls of paper towels?  Living and buying for today should save you time and money.  Just remember the days before Costco ever existed!

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

Organize Your Home Office Day

March 10, 2009 is the official “Organize Your Home Office Day” (according to Chase’s Calendar of Events).  Seeing as March 10th this year falls on a Tuesday, I was hoping to give you the motivation to get a jump start on it this weekend.   Take this as a guide for your home office, but know that everyone has a different space for their home office as well as different activities that must take place.  If you have any questions regarding what you need for your space, leave me a note in the comments and I will get back to you.

Tips for Organizing Your Home Office

Ask yourself:

• Who uses the office space?  You, your spouse,your roommate, your children?
• What activities take place in the space?  Bill paying, office work, homework?
• How do I want the space to look?  Relaxing and soothing, fun and bright?  Like a library, an art studio? 

Group and Sort:

• Put items for each activity together.
• Remove items that do not belong (your old maternity clothes, china, laundry, etc)
• Remove all trash from the space.
• Put all paperwork together to be sorted separately  Get ready to shred! Keep only:
  *ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR ATTORNEY AND TAX ACCOUNTANT BEFORE YOU DECIDE   TO SHRED!!!!!
  • Tax Returns for the past 7 years (with appropriate back up)
  • All receipts and documents for current year Tax Return
  • Warranties, Contracts, and Policies
  • Medical Records
  • School Records
  • Current month bills, and credit card/bank statements.  Retain longer only if you think they will be a tax write off.
  • Auto records for as long as you keep the car
  • Home Sale and Purchase Documents for the rest of your life.  Keep with these documents any home improvement receipts and permits.  If they are going to be used as a write off in your taxes, keep a copy with your Tax Return Documents.
  • Investment purchase records.  Keep as long as you own the investment.
  • Vital Records:  Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Wills, Trusts, Estate Plans, Marriage Certificates, Passports.
  • Get real with what you will actually keep.  You make time for what you actually want to do.  If you have been keeping a book on how to knit and 5 years later you still haven’t “found time” to learn, you most likely never will.  Be real with yourself.  Make room for what you need and love to do and embrace them! 

Find Homes for Each Activity:

• If the children use the space for homework, find a space for all the supplies they need to accomplish their work.
• If you pay the bills, find a space for the calculator, stamps, return address labels, checkbook, etc.
• If you work from home find a separate place for your work files and your home files.
• If you are in school yourself, find a space that is inspiring to study.
• If you wrap gifts group all your wrapping supplies including tape, scissors, tissue, gift bags, etc.
• Store extra supplies in an area you do not need to access immediately.  This does not mean to go overboard and have 1,000 binder clips, but enough that you can replace your supplies without having to run out to the store every time you run out of something.

Think of Proper Placement for Each Activity: 

• If you have your computer cords running in front of your desk drawer, you will most likely never use the desk drawer.
• If you need to jot down a note or phone message, keep a pad of paper and pencil in close reach.
• If you print often, don’t place the printer on the other side of the room.

Invest in High Functioning Furniture and Storage Containers:

• Home offices do not need to be a room, but can be a “hub” somewhere in the home. If you do realize you need a larger space, re-evaluate the space you have in the home and see where your office would be best placed.  If you have a bedroom saved for a child who is now away at college, re-invent the room so they have a place to visit but you have a room to function in.  Choose furniture that best suits the space and the activities that will take place in your “office”.
• If you will be accessing files often, purchase a file cabinet that opens and closes easily.  If you are struggling to open the drawer to file, chances are you eventually won’t do it.
• If you have a nice size drawer, purchase organizing trays or individual drawer containers to keep like with like and make it easy to find what you are looking for.
• Avoid desks with a hutch above it if this is the area you will be working at most.  You will feel crowded and will not have enough surface space to spread out while you are working.  Instead, sturdy shelves that are easy to reach serve the same purpose without using valuable desk square footage.
• Invest in a chair that is comfortable and ergonomically correct for you.  Your back will thank you for this!

Once you have a high functioning work space, you will be motivated to actually get the work done and keep it organized.  If you have good systems in place, you will be able to find what it is you need very quickly and will be able to do the tedious tasks (like paying bills) with ease!

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

 

Donation Designation

Have a bag or box designated for donations.  Place it in a closet or in the garage.  As you are going through the house make a point to donate at least one item a day.  Let everyone know, once an item has been put in the box, it is not to be retrieved (just make sure they agreed in the first place to give it away).  Keep a notepad with the box and a disposable camera.  Documentation is more important than ever for taxes.  For every item that goes in, write it on the list and take a picture of it.  This will make next years donation deductions for taxes a little easier.  (Yes, you can use “taxes” and “easier” in the same sentence!)

Out of Sight!

Are you an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of person?  Do you have to have things out in order to remember them?  Do you worry that if you were to put it away you will never remember to use it or deal with it?  Well, I am one of “those” types.  I am highly organized, yet I am extremely forgetful.  If it is not in front of me or under my nose, I will forget. 

I have my schedule down to a science, yet I did forget to pick up my son and his friend from their tennis clinic!  My five year old and his friend decided since I was late they would walk home (three blocks)!  They were a happy as could be thinking how grown up they were to walk home!  I had my heart stop and my throat close as the guilt of my mistake consumed me.  A frightful night of sleep was a result, as I was thinking of what could have happened to the two sweet boys!  It was a day where time got away from me.  I am a scheduler and planner, yet this day a long business call took my mind off of what I was supposed to be doing.  Needless to say, a talk with the boys was a must to let them know to call home first, and to never walk home alone again.  And, for me, a new way of reminding myself needed to be developed.

There are many ways to remind you of what needs to be done.  I am the queen of reminders.  Here are a few things I have found helpful in helping keep me in line (without having to staple a note to my forehead!):

• Use on-line calendar with reminders.  I have the calendar synced to my phone so not only does my computer ding at me, but my phone does as well. 
• Use a timer.  The dreaded day my son walked home was unique.  My friend and I decided to send our boys to the tennis clinic at the last minute.  Our older children were at other practices and the little boys wanted to go to tennis.  She drove them to the clinic and I was to pick up.  It was not on my calendar so there was no reminder.  Now, for those days where something last minute comes up, I set a timer to remind me.  I was distracted by the phone conversation and time got away from me.  This can happen if you are busy cleaning, surfing the net, or reading.  I needed to be brought into the present and a timer would have been the reminder.  Now, I set one often!
• Sticky Notes – I am not a fan of sticky notes for daily use.  They fall off, get attached to other papers, or clutter up a space.  But, if used for special reminders, they work well.  If you have a unique, one time reminder, they can save the day.  For example, I was to bring food for my bible study group.  I had all the food that was not perishable set out to take the night before.  Most bible study mornings are busy and I know if it is not in my path to the door, it will be forgotten.  So I put a sticky note reminder on the non-perishable bag set by the door to remind me to get the items from the refrigerator before I left.  I could easily see myself leaving in a dash without them!  That morning, almost everyone in my group who was bringing food forgot something.  When you have tasks that are not routine, it is easy to be distracted and forget.

There are other ways to remind yourself of important tasks.  What do you do?  I never understood the “tie a string around your finger” method, yet if I have another incident where I forget my child, I may break down and try it!  Even the most organized can make mistakes!!!

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