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!

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

Have a Smooth Flowing Christmas Day

For as long as I can remember, there have been stories of parents staying up all night finishing up last minute details for Christmas Day.   In our home we typically attend our Christmas Eve church service, have a nice family dinner, and read Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kids.   Then we get the cookies, milk and reindeer food laid out by the fire place.  Needless to say, we are busy.  The kids are up later than we want (have you tried to put your kids to bed early on Christmas Eve?) which means the last details for You Know Whoto have come need to wait until it is truly a Silent Night!   Trying to wrap all your gifts, build toys and bikes, get things ready for breakfast the next morning, and all the other details you put into your day can really make a to-do list as long as Santa’s.

A few ways to make your Christmas filled with special memories of peace and calm instead of exhaustion and stress is to prepare as early as you can. 

1. Wrap gifts and have them labeled in advance.  I will say that I don’t do this for all the gifts because I like to use gift bags.  If I make the gifts bags in advance they don’t work into my hiding spots and will get crushed.  I will wrap the gifts from the North Pole in special paper and hide those.  The gift bags are easy to throw together at the last minute.  You will be able to put these gifts under the tree in record time.
2. Outsource when you can.  Do you have grandparent who can put the bike together ahead of time?  Do you have a neighbor who can help you store your gifts?  Do you have a babysitter looking for extra money who can wrap gifts for you?  Are others coming to breakfast or dinner?  You can ask others to help contribute to your feast with a potluck format.
3. Check to see what gifts need batteries and have the stock of batteries there when you open the gifts.  You never know what toy or electronic will need a fresh set. 
4. Have your camera and video camera ready for action.  If you still you a 35 mm camera, have plenty of film available.  If you are digital, make sure that your memory card is empty and available to fill up with fun Christmas memories.  Also, make sure your batteries are charged or that you have spare batteries available.  There is nothing worse than getting the camera out at the last minute and it won’t work.
5. Have a scissors, screw drivers (both flat and Phillip’s), and a box cutter to open packages and install the batteries.  I have found a new gadget that is so helpful in opening the plastic packages that are a struggle to open.  You know the ones that are formed around the package and are impossible to open?  The gadget is called the iSlice.  I found mine at the check out of Michael’s craft store.  You can find it at www.islice.com. 
6. Have trash bags on hand.  This will keep the mess down and have room for playing with all the new gifts.  Also, have a container to put gift bags, bows, or any other reusable wrapping for another time. 
7. Have paper and pen available to take notes on who gave you what gifts.  You will have a much easier time writing thank yous when you have the list available.  The kids can power through gifts faster than the speed of light and it is very hard to keep track of who gave what gifts. 
8. Prepare your breakfast items the day before.  Sausage and egg souffle casseroles, coffee cake, donuts and other yummy favorites are easy to make ahead and heat in the morning.  Trying to make pancakes and waffles may be more of a mess than you want amongst the other activities.  But if this is a must for your family, make the batter in advance (store it in the refrigerator) and have the pans or waffle iron laid out and ready to go.  Have the serving pieces laid out and the table set the day before to make coming to the table to eat a breeze.
9. If you are having a Christmas dinner, do the same as above and try and get as much done in advance as you can.  Rethink what you serve on Christmas.  I know many who have lasagna instead of turkey.  Just because your family did the same meal every year doesn’t mean you need to do the same.   You can create a fabulous meal in advance and not spend the day in the kitchen after the gifts are open. 

The whole point of Christmas is to spend time together.  It is not about the gifts, it is not about the elaborate display, and it is not about spending the day in the kitchen.  Plan ahead so you will be able to enjoy this special day with your family.  If you are up late the night before, you will be exhausted and cranky.  If you are running around during the day unorganized and unprepared, everyone will feel the tension which makes for a stressed out family day. 

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.  For those who celebrate other religious celebrations at this time of year, I wish you a wonderful holiday season.  Next week I will be writing on New Year’s resolutions.  I look forward to hearing comments on any thing you and your family do to help keep your Christmas and holiday season Merry and Bright!!!

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 

Black Friday and the Packaging Woes

I hope all of you bargain shoppers found terrific deals to make this holiday season go down in savings history.  I know many people on this savings day are shopping for great deals on toys.  Thinking of children opening up the toys they have been hoping for brings on a different memory for me.  For the past few years, Christmas morning has required an industrial pair of scissors and a few Band-Aids.  Having two boys, ages 10 and 6, we have had to cut open so many packages that are secured stronger than Fort Knox!  The plastic has been as sharp as a knife and typically cuts at least one of us.  If the plastic packages are hard enough to open, the twist ties that keep they toys in place are wound so tight you have no idea where to begin untangling them. 

This crazy packaging in not just for toys, though.  You can have fun opening this type of packaging in everything from electronic toothbrushes to bulk batteries.  I have found that Costco and other bulk suppliers are the biggest culprits for this packaging.  There is hope though for a change in packaging.  Amazon has introduced Frustration-Free Packaging.  This is from the Amazon website:

The Frustration-Free Package (on the left) is recyclable and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It’s designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging (on the right). Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without an additional shipping box.

Here is a link to additional information regarding their new packaging.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html

I am all for an easier means to anything.  Yes, the package on the right you can see into, but once upon a time, a picture on the box was suffice.  I hope you will all look into shopping with Amazon this holiday season.  The more we purchase this type of packaging, the more other retailers will catch on.  My kitchen scissors and my hands will thank you!

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 

Did You Change Your Clocks?

Today is my favorite type of day.  Daylight savings time occurred last night and it is raining.  It has been very warm here and not like fall, so the rain was a blessing.  And, I love to “fall back” and gain an extra hour in the day.  But as I walked around the house and changed the clocks back one hour, I realized very few of my clocks were set to the right time!  In the past I have thought that setting my clocks a few minutes fast would help me get out the door a little faster.  Instead I feel it has slowed me down.  I spend time trying to figure out how much time I really have.  I realized that it is better to change my mind set then to change my clock and use my time wisely.

Managing time is a misnomer.  We can’t manage time, but we can be more effective in the way we use it.  We use so many devices to save time.  From PDA’s, computers, and TIVO, you would think we have hours of extra time on our hands, yet we all feel overwhelmed with “to-do’s”.  Changing a few things in our day will allow you to have the “extra hour” feeling that the time change gives us.  

1.  Stop multi-tasking -  We waste more time when we try and bounce between different activities.  Your brain cannot jump around and be effective. 

2.  Eliminate distractions -  Like multi-tasking, you loose focus and efficiency.  Distractions usually take about 20 minutes to refocus.  Set aside 90-120 minutes of uninterrupted time and then take a break.

3.  Set routines -  From the time we are born, a routine is one of the best ways to keep our bodies and minds on track.  If we know what to expect every day (wake up at 6 am, exercise til 7 am, eat breakfast at 7:15, shower and get dressed by 8:15, drive to work…).  A schedule may seem mundane, but it helps our minds not to think about what the next step is.  If you don’t have to think about things, you will free up your mind to concentrate on more important tasks in your day.

4.  Avoid Perfectionism – If you worry about doing everything perfectly, you will get nothing done.  Really focus on what needs to be done well, then for the rest either let it go or do an average job.  

5.  Avoid Procrastination – Putting things off can lead to wasted time.  Like Nike says, “Just Do It”.  The sooner you get a job done, the less time you have to spend thinking about it!

6.  Outsource – If you have the means, outsource as much as possible.  You will have to let go of some control.  Ask for help from friends, relatives, and co-workers.  Be creative with your budget in order to afford help.  Cut back on  Starbucks so you can hire a cleaning service once a month.  Bring your lunch to work so you can go to the car wash every other week. 

Evaluate your time and see where you can use the tips above to help find more time in your day.  We all get the same 24 hours.  How are you spending yours?

If you would like more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

Welcoming Guests

The holidays are quickly approaching and that means gatherings of friends and family and house guests.  Now is the time to get your home in order so you can enjoy your guests throughout the holidays.  If you start now, your home will be a warm and inviting home-away-from-home for your guests.  Here are some areas to think about:

1.  Guest Rooms – Stop making your guest room a catch all room.  Clear it out now and find homes for all the items you  have dumped in there, even if the items are donated or trashed.  Make sure the linens are in good shape and that the room is warm and inviting.  Make sure there is room in the closet for your guests to hang item, or have a hook on the back of the door so their clothes will not be wrinkled.  Most people expand their personal closet into the unused guest closet.  If you leave a quarter of the closet empty, your guests will have plenty of room to hang what they need.

To make your guests feel wanted, leave a current magazine you think they would enjoy, water and a few snacks.  I love the idea of having a glass water carafe set for your guests.  This allows them to have water at their bedside without using plastic water bottles.  Here is one I found on Amazon.  Crate and Barrel and William Sonoma are other places to look as well.  They are around $25, and some can be monogrammed.  Use a tray to hold the magazines, water and snacks.  Your guests can even use the tray to keep their small items (like jewelry, keys, and money) from getting misplaced.

 

glass carafe set

glass carafe set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Bathrooms – Clear off the counters so your guest will have space to put their items out.  What does it say to your guests if they feel they are in the way?  Give them a welcoming feeling of having a space of their own.  You can store extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shave cream, soap, shampoo and conditioner in a basket under the sink or in the linen closet in case your guests forgot anything. 

3.  Family Room- Clear out the clutter.  Find homes for toys, books and video games.  Your home should be lived in but not a walking hazard.  Clutter will leave your guests feeling uncomfortable and unwanted since you didn’t take the time to clean up for them.  Make sure if you have animals you have cleaned off the upholstery, not everyone is comfortable with pet hair!

4.  Kitchen – Clear off counters and make sure your cabinets and drawers are easy to navigate.  What if your guest opens a cabinet and 20 plastic containers come crashing out?  What if they want to have a late night snack after everyone has gone to bed?  Will they be digging for a knife to make a quick sandwich?  Do they feel in the way instead of helpful when you are making meals?  Having a functional kitchen not only will help in food preparation for additional people, but will allow your guests to feel helpful and a part of the family instead of an intruder.

We love to have people come to visit and stay with us.  We try to make them feel wanted and welcome.  We don’t have to spend a lot of money to do so!  Cleaning up is something we all know we should do, but look at your home from the eyes of a guest and see what you need to do before your company arrives.  Just don’t make it too good or they may not want to leave!

If you would like more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start”  . Subscribe Now

Are your children ready?

No one wants to instill fear in their child, so it may be easier to avoid the conversation with them of what to do in an emergency.  I know with my boys, if I start a conversation with them on what types emergency situations could happen, I will have two reactions.  My oldest will ask lots of questions and, in his quest for a military future, will talk of how the armed forces will save the day, oblivious to the point of the conversation.  My youngest is more concerned with if there is life after death.  He has asked numerous times, “after I am done being an angel, will I get to come back to live on earth?”, again the conversation going off track.  Knowing these types of conversations are looming, I have always avoided them.  But in my desire to make teaching a hard lesson easy, I know I will do a disservice to my children to not let them know what potential scary situations may lie ahead and how we can handle them.

l found a link through Ready.gov that has helped me with this difficult subject.  I know it will help you and your children’s teachers discuss preparing for anything from a house fire to a hurricane.  The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Kids initiative created a program for school age children for its ongoing emergency preparation awareness. 

Here is the link to the children’s site:  http://www.ready.gov/kids

It is set up like an adventure, and helps you get your kids involved in a fun way.  There is a four step process in preparing that will allow the kids to “Graduate”.  In addition, there is a “fun and games” link your children will enjoy.  There are also fun facts on natural disasters.  Like did you know ” “Tornado” was a 14th-century sailor’s word for a voilent, wind thunderstorm.  It may come from the Spanish word tronada, meaning “thunderstorm” ” (from Ready.gov).

For children ages 3-5, Sesame Street Workshop teamed up with Ready Kids to provide a great source for information on teaching your small children about natural and man made disasters and how to prepare for them:

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/emotion/ready

This site has downloads available in both English and Spanish.  There are instructional booklets for adults, including caregivers, and activity books for children.  “Fun and easy ways to help the whole family prepare for any type of emergency”, is their tag line and with characters from Sesame Street, fun and education go hand in hand. 

There are many talks we want to avoid with our children but these websites make the “disaster preparation” talk an easy one.   We owe it to our children to teach them to be ready for anything that comes their way.  We educate them in academics, sports, music, and many other areas.  If your children are educated in disaster preparation, they will be psychologically and physically protected in an emergency.  So get the family together and Get Ready!

If you would like more information on emergency/disaster preparedness, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start”  where I discuss how to put together and Emergency Preparedness Kit. Subscribe Now