Friday, July 29, 2011
Getting Organized for School 2011 - A Family Hub
I polished up a blog from the past on getting ready for school:
It's hard to believe that in some parts of the country school will be starting in 1-2 weeks! School here starts August 24. Only about a month left! Prepare now to avoid chaos later.
If you don't have one already, create a hub - a location where you keep papers to be signed for school, library books, invitations, and other important information. The point is to have one location into which you deposit vital information so you know where to look when you need it.
It can be a drawer, a decorative box, a shelf - whatever works for you. And it needs to be in a central location. When my kids were home, I used a basket in my kitchen.
Your family calendar would be a good addition to the hub as well.
If you want to include backpacks, briefcases, and keys in your hub, you could put up pegs or hooks near the door you normally enter. Or use a coat rack or a coat closet to store these vital necessities.
You may also want to create a section in your hub for each person in your family to house their important stuff.
Related Posts:
Getting Organized for School (and life!) - Getting Enough Sleep
Get Organized for School (or life!) - A Family Calendar
Getting Organized for School - Backpack Checklist
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Packing for College 2011
We have yet another foster daughter going to college this fall. She has begun the process of packing and is doing very well.
- She has gone through her possessions several times to get rid of excess.
- She has already packed things she won't need for a while - winter clothes, etc.
- She has packed like things together - school supplies, etc.
- She has shopped for items she needs - linens, a coffee maker, a fan, etc.
- She has only those things she needs between now and then out.
If you have a child going to college, check to see his/her progress. If you or your student are overwhelmed, make a list of remaining tasks to be done. Prioritize and start tackling them!
Your child may need some help - going to college is both scary and exciting. He/she will need your support!
More on college:
Cutting Costs on College Textbooks
Beyond CliffsNotes - More Help for College Students
Great info for college students, their parents, and college professors
Monday, July 25, 2011
Some of My Favorite Organizing Products - Spice Turntables
I thoroughly enjoyed some time off, during which time I got the chance to visit my family in Oklahoma. My three siblings took time off, too, and we headquartered at my parents' home. All of us had a great time laughing, playing, talking, and catching up. Sooooo nice!
Today I'll continue my series on my favorite products. Turntables are ideal for small items like spices.They are at your fingertips without having to move a bunch of other spices to find them.
I like to organize my spices into categories:
- salts/peppers (celery salt, garlic salt, seasoned salt, onion salt, etc.)
- herbs (basil, thyme, dill - those green things)
- baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, etc.).
Plastic turntables are available at Target, Walmart, and kitchen/bath stores for around $5.
If you have the drawer space, you can also organize your spices in a drawer. You can categorize according to use or alphabetical order - whatever works for you.
Take a little irritation out of your life and organize your spices!
More on spices:
Decluttering in 5 - Check out the Shelf Life of Your Spices
Herb Recipes
Organizing the Pantry
Monday, July 4, 2011
1-2-3 ... Get Organized Is Taking a Break for a Couple of Weeks
I'm taking some time off, so I won't be posting any articles for a couple of weeks. Feel free to peruse our 1200 blog posts. :)
Friday, July 1, 2011
Animal Shelters Accept What Other Charities Can't Use
Do you want to get rid of some blankets and towels that are not nice enough to donate to other charities? Animal shelters go through scads of these each year, using them for drying off animals, cleaning up messes, and for bedding.
Both cloth and vinyl placemats are useful as well. The animals don't care if they're faded or worn or have spots on them. Vinyl placemats can go under bowls and cloth ones can line small cages.
Newspapers are something we recycle every day, but could be used to line cages.
Plastic bags multiply like rabbits at my house! Shelters need poop bags when the dogs are taken out for walks. That's a lot of bags!!
Of course, shelters will take new and used pet supplies - beds, carriers, leashes, collars, grooming items, toys, litter. And new food and treats. Check to see if your shelter accepts coupons, too.
Don't forget that humane societies use office, laundry and cleaning supplies. And of course, they'll always take cash.
Our humane society has a rummage sale every once in a while, so typical donated items would be appropriate for that.
And donate your time if you're so inclined. If you can't have pets, you can always walk a dog or pet a kitty and get your fix that way. We have several foster daughters who have or are donating time at the animal shelter. Being able to hug an animal is wonderfully therapeutic!
I always feel nice when something I no longer need can help someone else.
More on animals and shelters:
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