A Time-Saving Laundry Tip - Color-Coded Laundry Bags

    
I heard a tip to make laundry a little easier: buy each member of your family three laundry bags - one for whites, one for lights and one for darks. If possible, purchase a different color for each person. For example, you could get a light blue bag for lights, and dark blue bag for darks, and a white one for whites and tie a blue (color-safe) ribbon to it. Ok - I know I may be getting obsessive here!!

Train your child how to differentiate between light and dark colors - a great learning tool even for toddlers!

When it's time for a load of light-colored laundry, ask your child to bring you his light bag. Since it will probably not be full, tie up the bag and wash the entire bag. If the bag is not too full, you could toss it in the drier and save all the sorting! And since the bag is color-coded, you know who it belongs to!

You can then teach your child how to fold the clothes in the laundry bag and organize the clothes in the closet or drawers. A way to prepare your child for leaving home and eventually a time-saver for you, once he gets the system down!

More on clothes/laundry:
Three Steps to Organizing Your Closet
A Dozen Tips for Staying Clutter-Free in 2013
A Unique Way of Storing Folded Clothes

Organizing Toys Using a Wire Plant Hanger

    

I love this ingenious idea for organizing toys - from Redbook!

"Create cute bins for stuffed animals and toys by mounting a wire garden planter on the wall, at kid height. Because seeing the floor in your child's room is a beautiful thing".





Don't you love this?

More on organizing toys:
Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room
Organizing Legos - Or Not
Organizing "Messy" Toys
Teaching Children to Organize

A Unique Idea for Storing Folded Clothes

    
Another idea from Redbook: "For tidy drawers, try arranging folded piles of clothes horizontally, filling each drawer from front to back. This way you can see everything, including that favorite college T-shirt you thought you lost five years ago." 

Isn't this clever? I love it! 

It would work well for storing fabrics, too!

More on drawer storage:  

No Cost Organizing: Drawer Dividers  

Organizing Drawers  

What's Hiding in Your Underwear Drawer?

Managing Paper, Part 2

 
This is the second part of my series on Managing Paper. Part 1 addressed dealing with mail, how to reduce unwanted mail, and what documents to keep. Today we'll talk about all those school papers/artwork and filing.

Children’s Artwork and School Papers

School papers and artwork can become overwhelming very quickly! The only way to survive is to stay on top of it.

First, choose a receptacle for such papers. Consider the amount of storage space you possess, as you will probably have one of these containers for each year of school. I like plastic boxes, as they protect against damage.

With your child, clean out her backpack at the end of the week. Encourage her to choose only one item a week to keep. Label the back with the date and description, and place in the container.

At the end of the month look back over the previously stored papers to see if some of the sentimentality has decreased for the earlier keepers. Repeat every month.

At the end of the school year, determine if your storage is adequate to house that year’s keepers. If not, purge until it is. Label the container with your child’s name and the year.

Artwork that doesn’t make it into the keeper file can be sent to grandma, our troops, or nursing homes.

For family night one night, take out the keepers for the last few years and reminisce.

Ideas for storing artwork:

- For large three-dimensional projects take a picture rather than storing the entire project.

- Create a gallery by hanging a cord across a wall in your child's room. Using clothespins or colorful clips, hang the latest masterpieces. Swap out as necessary.

- Picture frame storage - showcase one picture in a frame with others stored behind the latest picture. There are picture frames designed especially for this type of storage.

- Permanently frame a picture - maybe one a year.

- The typical fridge or bulletin board gallery,

- Turn your child's artwork into place mats by laminating them.

- Use your child's artwork as wrapping paper.

- Scan your child's artwork, reduce if necessary, and print onto cardstock, creating greeting cards.

- Create a collage under a glass-covered coffee table.

- Create a calendar, using a different masterpiece for each month.

- Create a collage or digital collage.

- Have several art pieces bound in a book.

- Create a scrapbook or digital scrapbook.

- Store in binders.

- Create a photo album with pictures of your child holding various pieces of artwork.

- Turn the art into charm bracelets or Christmas ornaments.

- Create a digital photoframe slideshow.

- scan and load onto disk or memory stick.

- Have your child's art displayed on a t-shirt.The following websites can be used for the above creations: Big Art Blessing, Walgreens, Snapfish, Shutterfly, York Photo, Dynamic Frame.                                                Filing
 Filing is one of my least favorite things to do! Does anyone like filing ... really? If we have to do it, here are a few tips to make it a little painful:
- Setting up and maintaining a simple, effective filing system saves an untold amount of time because you know exactly where to find items you need.

- If you are a visual person, consider using different colors of file folders for different categories. For example, use green file folders for your financial files.

- Prevent eye strain by using the same file tab for one category. For example, use the left tab on your green files for your financial files. Use the right tab on your green files for gardening ideas.

- Don't over-categorize or get too detailed - it's too much to remember. If you must have large quantities of files, make a one-page list of your files and where they are.

- Keep frequently used files within arm's length of your desk chair. Store less-used files farther away. If you must archive files for a certain number of years, consider putting them in storage.

- If reports, statements, etc. can easily be found online, don't keep paper copies.

- File ongoing projects in a hanging file. At the end of the day, deposit work into that file, clearing your desk. Make a list of projects and work to be done the next day, so they are not forgotten or overlooked.

- Keep a "pending" file for those items without closure.

- Set aside specified time to file so it doesn't get out of hand. Multi-task by filing when you are on hold or when having a casual conversation or when your brain needs a mental break.

- In order to free up space in your file cabinets, go through your files and move inactive but necessary files into storage boxes. Number or label each box and keep a list of what is in each box so you can locate it, if needed. Toss files that do not need to be kept.

Remember, 80% of what we file we never look at again. So consider carefully whether you will need to see that paper again before you file it. Reducing the amount you file reduces your work and the amount of storage you need!

More on filing:
A Very Simple Filing System for Paper and Email
The "Do It Now" Mindset  
Five Ways to Prevent Procrastination from  Zapping Your Energy and Productivity 

The Scientific Reason for Clutter

    
Winter has arrived here in Montana! We got several inches of snow over the weekend with highs in the teens. A nice time to stay in and cook my pumpkin and try my hand at some gluten-free recipes: Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Muffins. Happily, they were good! In the process, I made huge messes in my kitchen, which illustrates the topic for today: Entropy, a law of science. Nancy Harris's amusing article describes an experience known to us all.


"It was then, as I struggled to scrub a bathroom only to return to a sink full of dishes in a previously-clean kitchen; or as I folded a pile of laundry and, upon finishing, discovered an open box of cereal dumped across the living room floor, cereal bowls on the counter and a stack of papers scattered across the kitchen table, that I realized just how very relevant entropy was.

You see, entropy has to do with steady deterioration, measures of disorder and overall tendencies toward chaos. And it isn’t just a crazy theory. Heavens no. It is law. Big law — as in the Second Law of Thermodynamics big. And what is more, it doesn’t state that order must always decrease. Oh, you can produce order all right — highly elaborate order even — only in doing so, disorder will increase somewhere else.

And there’s the key. Go ahead: clean and scrub, sort and organize, produce spectacular order in one area of your home; just understand and accept the fact that there will certainly be order decreasing, every bit as spectacularly, somewhere else in your home — especially if you have children or pets, or maybe even a husband (bless his heart).

There are likely some of you out there reading this and thinking smart little thoughts like, “You didn’t explain this right at all,” and “It has nothing to do with clutter. This is about energy, for crying out loud! It’s about thermodynamics and closed systems!”

But the rest of you are surely thinking, as I have thought all these many years, “Finally! A purely scientific explanation for why my house cannot stay tidy!” Blame it on entropy. Blame it on science. You and your home are simply subject to a greater law — a law of messiness, if you will.

Comfort yourself in knowing that those friends and neighbors of yours who seem to have a home void of dust, clear of any sign of fingerprints on walls and windows, and completely lacking in piles of laundry and unsorted mail, certainly have chaos and disorder somewhere else. You might have to search under their beds or open every drawer in their kitchen, but that disorder is there. Somewhere. It has to be ….

Unless, of course, they are superheroes who can defy the very laws of nature. And if that is the case, well, there is no use comparing yourself to them anyway."


More on clutter:
Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room (print version) (Kindle version)
Three Steps to Decluttering (print version) (Kindle version)
Declutter Any Room in 3 Weeks

Destressing Christmas - Tackle Toy and Other Clutter Now

          
Christmas can add clutter to your home, especially to your child's room. To head it off, declutter now!

This is a great time of year to encourage your child to declutter toys before being inundated with more! Before a birthday is another good time to declutter. Even three- and four-year olds can grasp the concepts of outgrown toys, generosity, and order.

How to encourage your child to get rid of excess:

- Help your child envision giving toys to a younger friend or sibling, a disadvantaged child, your church or a charity. One of our foster daughters kept picturing her clothes making a younger child happy, which motivated her to get rid of four bags of clothes!

- Be sensitive to your child's sentimental favorites, yet help him learn to discriminate between favorites and toys that have lost their appeal.

- If your child is having difficulty, make it a two-step process. One of our daughters agreed to putting a bag of stuffed animals in the attic. After several months, she was able to part with many of them.

- Determine beforehand how much toy storage your child's room will allow or how much storage you will allow. These may be two different things! Just because a room has space, doesn't mean it needs to be jam-packed! When you're out of storage space, toys must be discarded or put away. (We put a way two-thirds of our girls' toys and swapped out toys three times a year.)

- Create limits - so many of one type of toy. If a new one comes in, an old one goes out.

- Discard broken toys or those that have missing pieces.

If your child declutters a couple of times a year, excess will be controlled, and her room will be manageable and pleasant. 

Make sure your child has a system - a place for books, a place for larger toys (I recommend shelves), bins or boxes for toys with many parts, a place for collections or special items, and a place for papers, a trash can, and a laundry basket. In my opinion, large toy boxes create frustration - your child cannot easily find toys or tries to yank out tangled toys creating breakage. 

Don't stop decluttering until there is no clutter and the room is peaceful. When Christmas comes, there will be adequate space for your child's new toys!
 
Set aside time each day for your child to maintain the system - time to make the bed, put away toys, throw away trash, put clothes in the laundry basket, etc.

Now on to the rest of the house! Before you clutter your house with Christmas decorations, cards, extra food, etc., clear out unnecessary stuff. If you have four weeks before Thanksgiving, divide your home into four areas and tackle one area each week. If it's three weeks, divide your house into three areas, and so on.

As you comb through each area, ask yourself if you've used it recently, if it adds value to your life, if you love it, if it has a home. If not, consign it, toss it, or donate it.  

For those things you want to keep, find homes for them with similar items. Use double-duty furniture and accessories that provide storage as well as function - an ottoman with storage inside, end tables with drawers or shelves, or decorative bins or baskets that hold smaller items. Keep decluttering until your home gives you peace of mind.

What a nice way to start Christmas preparations with a lean house! 

If you need more extensive help decluttering, check out Three Steps to Decluttering or Decluttering Any Room in 3 Weeks.


More on decluttering:
Three Steps to Decluttering 

More Help - Teaching Your Kids to Declutter

Decluttering Any Room in 3 Weeks

More Help - Teaching Your Kids to Declutter

      

Chris Zdeb of the Edmonton Journal wrote the following review of Room Enough for Daisy by Rita Feutl and Debby Waldman. It has been recognized as a resource by the National Association of Professional Organizers.

"Stuff. We all have it. Arguably, we have too much of it. Even kids.

So when Rita Feutl's daughters complain their bedrooms are too small, she tells them to get rid of some of the stuff in them, to make their rooms bigger.

Feutl's parental advice reminded her friend, Debby Waldman, of an Eastern European folk tale about a house too small - one similar to a folk tale Feutl knew as well - and faster than you can say 'clutter,' the two Edmonton children's authors were working on their first book together, Room Enough for Daisy (Orca Book Publishers, $19.95). The bright and colourful illustrations are done by Edmonton-area artist Cindy Revell.

The book is about young Daisy, who is worried about where she's going to put all the stuff she's expecting to get in three weeks at her birthday party. Her bedroom is too small already, she complains to her mom. How did stuff become such a problem for Daisy, and the rest of us?

Part of the answer, says Feutl, is 'we're inundated with advertisements which do a very good job of turning wants into needs. All of a sudden your gizmo, your MP3 player, is no longer good enough. You need the next generation of (gizmo) and the old one gets dumped into a drawer.

That happens with dolls, toys, with everything,' she explains. 'The other thing is we've become really good at having these celebrations of stuff gathering. Whether it's a birthday or a bar mitzvah or Christmas - whatever you call it - it's a stuff-gathering,' Feutl says sitting at Waldman's kitchen table. 'And not just stuff-gathering, but stuff-giving.

Who was the evil devious person who invented loot bags for birthday parties?'

'It was probably someone who owned a dollar store,' Waldman, sitting next to her, answers, laughing.

'Sometimes,' Waldman says, lowering her voice to a whisper, 'those little plastic things you get (in loot bags), I just empty right into a garbage can, and you feel bad because somebody went out and spent all that time running around buying s t u ff.'

Feutl says she hopes it prompts thoughtful parents to ask their kids to think about where the material for these things comes from, where they are put together, who puts them together and what they're paid, how they're pack-aged and how they get to the village, town or city where the kids live?

'We both feel the same way about clutter,' Waldman notes, 'that we have way more than we need ... and that so much of it is junk and things you'll never use.'

Room Enough for Daisy is about reusing, reducing and recycling, Feutl says.

I call it a book about a child hoarder,' Waldman adds.

A kid with clutter issues,' Feutl corrects.

'And what the mom in this book does, is what a lot of people suggest doing for kids who can't let go of things.'

What the mom does is parcel up some of Daisy's stuff and store it in the basement for six months, to see if any of it is actually missed, Feutl explains.

'I've read that if there are clothes in your closet you haven't worn in two years, you should get rid of them,' Waldman notes.

'It could go to a rummage sale or charity,' adds Feutl. 'The idea is just to make kids aware of their stuff and to take responsibility for it.'

They'll learn that some things are worth keeping more than others, and that less really is more."


More on kids and clutter:

Teaching Kids How to Sort and Declutter

Helping Your Kids Turn Their Clutter into Cash

Color-Coding Toys

Three Steps to Decluttering Your Child's Room (print) or (Kindle) 

Teaching Kids How to Sort and Declutter

     
Want to teach your child how to organize? Even a small child can learn! When you're helping him clean his room, ask him how he would sort things - which things are alike, which belong together - a fun game!

Remember, your child may not see things the same way you see them, so be prepared for some creativity! There is not always just one way to sort.

As your child sorts, you may notice some items she has outgrown. Start early teaching your child the value of giving to others. Have her think about a younger child who might enjoy her outgrown toys or clothes. Talk about how a less fortunate child might need such things. 

Some books to reinforce your organizing lessons: 

The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room

The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need

Messy Bessy by Patricia McKissack

These are available on Amazon. 


More on organizing with kids:

Parenting a Disorganized Child

Helping Your Kids Turn Their Clutter into Cash

Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room (Kindle version or print)

Organizing Pros Weigh In on Baby Crib Organization

 

In a recent chat about baby cribs amongst professional organizers, several great ideas surfaced. Since we are expecting our first grandchild soon, this certainly caught my eye. Maybe this is helpful to you, too.

- A convertible crib is extremely efficient. It starts out as a crib, then it converts to a toddler bed when needed, and eventually transforms into a full size bed as the child grows older. We bought one for grandbaby at Walmart. Just remember to buy a mattress, too! We didn't realize it didn't come with one! Haha! These are also sold at JCPenney and Babies R Us and other stores that carry baby products.

- Another organizer mentioned the Ultimate Crib Sheet. Here are her thoughts: "This crib sheet snaps onto the crib, which is easy for removal & washing...but is also safe, as it fits snugly to the mattress.  In addition, we are night-time potty training our toddler daughter & this crib sheet has come in quite handy in her "big girl bed" to just lay underneath where she might potentially have an accident...saves us from having to strip the sheets (in a crib or a big bed!).  I would also suggest that parents purchase more than one Ultimate Crib Sheet so that if one is in the wash & it's nap time, you have another one clean & ready to go."

 These are the product details:

• Four products in one
• Easily changed without removing bumper or lifting mattress
• Holds up to 4 cups of liquid
• Measures 28" x 52"
• Attaches to the crib by ten elastic straps to ensure a safe night's sleep for baby

- To reduce the risk of SIDS, it is recommended that babies are put to sleep in a crib with nothing but a firm mattress in it (no crib bumpers, toys or blankets). 

- According to Parents as Teachers, mobiles and crib gyms should be removed from the crib as soon as the child can sit up. 

- Put two layers of sheets/waterproof pads on their crib mattresses. If baby has a middle of the night mess you can just pull off the first layer. 

- Store baby clothes in the next sizes in an underbed plastic container. One organizer wrote: "It is especially handy to have them close in the first year when they change sizes several times. (I also always wash them before putting them away so that I can use them immediately when needed.)"

- Another organizer wote: "Found this idea recently via Pinterest about upcycling a crib.  When your child is done using it, turn it into a kids desk, adult desk or bench!"

Clever and efficient ideas! For more information on crib safety click here.

More on organizing for baby:

Preserving and Organizing Your Child's Memorable Moments

Green Baby Gifts

Getting Organized for Baby

Getting Organized for Baby - Newborn Necessities

     
As our new granddaughter's due date is less than three weeks away, it's nice to have a checklist just to make sure we're all ready. I found this checklist from Today's Parent, which I thought was very helpful. A little overwhelming, too!

Clothing

• 8 undershirts or onesies (mix of short-sleeve and long-sleeve)
• 5 nightgowns (for use until the cord falls off)
• 8 one-piece stretchy sleepers (go for ones with zippers; new moms swear by them!)
• 5 pairs of pants
• 2 newborn hats
• 8 pairs of socks or booties, to wear with nightgowns and outfits
• 2 pairs of scratch mittens, to keep baby from scratching his face
• 2 cardigans or jackets, more in winter
• Bunting bag or snowsuit for winter baby
• Laundry detergent for infants
• 4 outfits for dressing up (optional)

Blankets

• 3 large cotton blankets
• 8 receiving blankets (they also make handy burp cloths)

Feeding

If you’re breastfeeding, you don’t really need any equipment.

Some nursing mothers like to have these items:

• Lots of bibs
• Burp cloths
• Breast pump
• Milk storage containers
• Nursing pillow
• Nursing bras (if buying before baby is born, buy one cup size larger than your pregnant bra size)
• Breast pads (disposable or washable)
• Lotion for sore nipples

If you are formula feeding:

• Lots of bibs
• Burp cloths
• 8 four-ounce bottles with nipples
• 6 eight-ounce bottles with nipples
• Bottle and nipple brush
• Formula (be sure to check expiry date and note the lot number in case of recalls)
• Thermal bottle carrier

Diapering

If you are using re-usable cloth diapers:

• Several dozen (4 or 5) cloth or re-usable diapers
• 8 waterproof covers
• 1 diaper pail
• Changing pad
• Baby ointment or other barrier cream to prevent rash
• Snaps, Velcro or safety pins to secure re-usable diapers
• Disposable wipes or a couple dozen washcloths for cleaning baby’s bottom

If you are using disposable diapers:

• Two boxes of newborn-size diapers (it’s better not to buy too many in advance in case your baby is large or grows quickly)
• 1 diaper pail
• Changing pad
• Baby ointment or barrier cream to prevent rash
• Disposable wipes or a couple dozen washcloths for cleaning baby’s bottom

Bathtime

• 1 plastic infant tub (or use a large dishpan in the sink, or take baby in the bath with you)
• 12 washcloths, not used on baby’s bottom
• Baby soap or cleanser
• Baby shampoo
• Baby soft-bristled hair brush
• 3 soft-hooded towels

Bedtime

If you are using a crib:

• Approved crib and crib mattress
• 3 waterproof mattress covers
• 4 fitted cribsheets
• 4 light blankets that fit in the crib
• Sleep sack

If you are co-sleeping:

• Firm mattress (not a waterbed)
• 3 waterproof pads to place under baby
• Light comforter (keep away from baby's head)
• Sleep sack

Other necessities

• Approved infant safety seat for car
• Stroller that reclines so newborn can lie flat
• Nail clippers or scissors (or just bite off baby’s nails as needed)
• Bulb syringe for suctioning mucous
• Baby thermometer
• Eye dropper or medicine spoon
• Medication in case of fever

Nice-to-have items

• Change table (or just use change pad on top of dresser or bed)
• Rocking chair for feeding and swaddling
• Playpen
• Sling or baby carrier
• Diaper bag
• 1 or 2 change pads
• Plastic hangers for closet
• Sun shade for car windows
• 2 or 4 pacifiers (if you choose to use these)
• Rattles and other baby toys
• Mobiles
• Night light

Isn't it amazing what one little tiny baby needs!? We can't wait!


More on organizing for baby:

Getting Organized for Baby

Green Baby Gifts

Preserving and Organizing Your Child's Memorable Moments

Take Some Organizing Lessons from 11-Year-Old Actress Kiernan Shupka

     
The following shelterpop article by Amy Preise is a fun read. Maybe you can use it to inspire your child!

Feeling too lazy to tackle your closet? Shame -- and inspire -- yourself by browsing actress Kiernan Shipka's stellar organizing skills.

Jake Rosenberg for The Coveteur

Recently The Coveteur turned its lens on the adorable and precocious "Mad Men" star Kiernan Shipka -- she of the impossibly sweet dresses and enviable Mary Janes collection. We discovered that in addition to having a fantastic wardrobe, Kiernan's also wise beyond her years when it comes to closet organizing. Want her advice? Read on...

Jake Rosenberg for The Coveteur

Organize-Your-Closet Lesson #1: Seek out more space.
"I love organization, so I split my clothes into two closets according to seasons," says Kiernan. "Though I have to go to the guestroom to pull my fall and winter items, it's still much easier than cramming all my clothes together in my one closet. I love 'space' in between hanging clothes."

Jake Rosenberg for The Coveteur

Organize-Your-Closet Lesson #2: Let your most-loved pieces double as decor.
"I love ballet. Ballet is its own being. It has its own vocabulary. I feel as if I am in a different world when I am in the ballet studio." So why shouldn't she give her ballet shoes a prominent place?

Organize-Your-Closet Lesson #3: Sort your things by type.
"I organize things by clothing type and by season," says Kiernan. "My dresses are together, as well as my skirts, hats, jackets, tops, scarfs, sweaters, and shoes! I hate a messy closet. I totally freak out when my closet is messy and I can't find anything. I like it to be as organized as can be!"

Jake Rosenberg for The Coveteur

Organize-Your-Closet Lesson #4: Seek out unexpected -- and mood-lifting -- storage.
You may not have SAG awards like Kiernan but surely you have old trophies that can double as jewelry stands. Or maybe a diploma to display with your perfume bottles? Work the pieces you're proud of into your space and you'll have a constant reminder of your successes. "I am so lucky to be part of such an awesome cast on Mad Men," says Kiernan. "Being awarded the trophies is just the cherry on top!"

Jake Rosenberg for The Coveteur

Organize-Your-Closet Lesson #5: Keep the floor a no-clothes zone.
We know it's hard to keep 100% of your clothes in your closet 100% of the time. Instead, designate pretty spots to stash items that you haven't had time to put away yet. We love how sweet Kiernan's frock looks on display by the window. Much, much better than strewn on the floor or over a chair."

Helping Your Kids Turn Their Clutter into Cash

              
All four of our girls will be leaving our home sometime during the summer. Three will be going back to family and one will be going off to college. Two have already been going through their things, organizing them and getting rid of things they no longer want. Women after my own heart! Speaking of kids decluttering, that's our topic for today.

Does your child have too many toys or gadgets, but is requesting something new? Here's a way to motivate him to declutter as well as move him toward his goal: help him sell outgrown toys, books, etc. and put that money toward his desired toy or gadget. 

Some ideas:

- Help your child have a yard sale to get rid of unwanted items.

- Consign her toys at local consignment shops or StorkBrokers. Both of these will charge a fee, StorkBrokers' being 6%.

- If you're eBay savvy, you can sell your child's stuff there. Without too much trouble, you can also sell on Amazon, too. Both will charge a commission. 


- You can also place ads on Craig's List or in your local newspaper. Be careful to follow all the safety suggestions for Craig's List.

- Your child can swap his items with another child at places like Zwaggle, Swap It Now, or thredUp.

There are multiple benefits to this concept:
- Your child's room is decluttered.
- Your child is learning the concept of earning and saving for something she wants.
- Once your child's room is decluttered, introduce the concept of one item in, one item out. If something new comes into his room, he must get rid of one item in exchange.
- Who knows, you may have helped generate the entrepreneurial spirit in your child! 

Alternatively, you could reward your child with the new item if she successfully declutters and donates her unwanted items to charity. 

More on toy decluttering/selling: 

Garage Sale Tips to Get Rid of that Clutter

Helping Your Child Declutter Toys Before Christmas

Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room

Loft Beds - A Great Solution for a Small Bedroom

      
Loft beds aren't just for college dorms! If your child's bedroom is small or if you'd just like to max out the existing space, a loft bed may be a great solution. I looked around and found these:

Jackson Creek

The Getaway

Dora

The Classic

Diego

Freetime

Z-Bed

The Cave

 

The Crossover

Rock and Roll

Sponge Bob

Teen

My Place - Pink/Purple or Blue Optional Tents

Some of these units have alternative configurations to give you more options. Click the pictures for more information. 

More on space-saving ideas:

Short on Space for Bathroom Towel Racks?

Gaining Storage without Losing Floor Space

Storage for Your Garage

 

 

 

More On Storing Your Kid's Art Work

        
I know I've written some previous blog posts about storing and displaying your child's artwork. Here are a few more ideas: 
 
- Load digital photos onto a digital photo frame and create a slide show of the masterpieces. 

- Use small notebooks to keep notes and small drawings. 

- Make a scrapbook of artwork for each school year.

- Slide artwork into a binder with page protectors, storing two pictures back-to-back in one page protector.

- Scan the artwork and burn it onto a disk or memory stick.

- Turn the favorite pieces into a calendar by taking digital pictures of the artwork. Instead of using photos of people to create the calendar, use your digital artwork. 

- Take a digital picture of each picture and keep them in a photo album.

- Frame some of the special artwork for yourself and/or grandparents.

- Have one piece professionally framed each year - with the child's name, age, and description of the artwork on it. 

- Create a digital scrapbook of the school year.

- Scan them and turn them into cards or wrapping paper.

- Make a digital collage - as a picture, mug, calendar, blanket, mouse pad. 

- Use framing mats as a rotating gallery on one wall.  

- Create a hardcover photobook through a photo site and display it as a "coffee table" book. You could have your child write a note about each piece of art.

- Store artwork in school years booklets ... the ones that have a folder and pages for your child to record memories each year. 

- Take pictures of the art work or scan it, and print it out on T-shirt iron-on-transfers.

- Decoupage a wooden toy box, small keepsake boxes, or a piece of wood, using several art pieces.   

- Scan them and make magnets for family members. Different sites offer free ones for various holidays - Father's Day, Mother's Day, etc.  

- Take art to a nursing home for their rooms - to brighten their day. You get rid of the extra "art" and have a lesson in charity.

- Take a picture of your child with the artwork and put the picture in a scrapbook. It records not only the art but the age at which your child created it. 

- Post them on Artsonia, an online kids' art gallery.

- Use black frames and white mats, several on one wall - looks like custom art.

- Store your child's collection of artwork in a Dynamic Frame, swapping out artwork in a jiffy.

- Take photos and make them small enough to fit charm bracelet frames/charms. Tie a ribbon on each and hang them as a decorations on your Christmas tree. 

Helpful websites: 
Big Art Blessing
Walgreens
Snapfish
Shutterfly 
York Photo


More on artwork storage:

Getting Organized for School 2010 - Organizing Your Child's Artwork and School Papers

Magnetic Paint - An Innovative Space Saver!

Organizing Your Keepsakes into Bins

 

Finally - An Easy Way to Organize Legos!

     
As you may recall from an earlier post, I didn't really see the point of organizing Legos - until now! I just saw this video about Box4Blox, and it convinced me. We don't have many Legos around our house these days, so I haven't tried it out, but it sure looks easy to me - even kids can do it!. The website says they are available at Amazon, but that is not the case at the moment.

Here are some other ideas, but I still prefer the Box4Blox.

   

LEGO ® Storage Tray Unit

Iris Lego Project Case Chest

More on toys:

Organizing Legos - Or Not

Downsizing Toys before Christmas

Teaching Children to Organize

 

Color-Coding Toys

   
Even though your child may have a place for everything, he may not remember where it is, even if it is labeled. So here's another way to help keep things neat: color-coding.

Using a blue permanent marker, place a blue dot on the back of each piece of a puzzle. Even if the puzzle is not put together, your child knows the pieces go in the clear shoe box with the blue dot on it.  And so on for other toys that may be confusing to place.

If your children get their toys confused, assign a color to each child and place an additional dot on their toys. Bobby's toys always have an orange dot in addition to the other dot that shows where they live.

I did this with socks as well, especially if I bought the same socks for both girls. They each had a color, and we marked dots on all their socks so it was easier to match socks on laundry day. 

More on toys:
Teaching Children to Organize
 Organizing Legos - Or Not
Helping Your Child Declutter Toys Before Christmas

Reviews of the 1-2-3 ... Get Organized series

     
Melissa over at Fabulous Family Reviews was kind enough to review some of the books in the 1-2-3 ... Get Organized series. Here's the link if you'd like to read them. While you're there, take a look around her site - it's a lot of fun!

Books Melissa reviewed:
Hassle Free Dinners
Three Steps to Planning Dinner
Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room

Organizing Back to School Shopping

     
Can you believe it's almost time for school?! Here's a blog I've done before to help reduce the stress of getting ready for school. We used these tips for our own daughters and some of them for our foster daughters. Hope you enjoy them:


If we took our cues from the stores, we would think summer is over, even though it seems like it just began! After the 4th of July, all summer clothes are on sale and winter clothes will soon be on the racks, even though we are sweltering! Great time to beef up your summer wardrobe, if need be.

If you need to shop for back-to-school clothes or if you have children who need to do so, here are a few tips:

1. Take inventory of what you have. If you have children, tackle this job one child at a time. Make a list of all tops, categorizing them separately - short sleeve, long sleeve, t-shirts, dressy, dressy casual, etc. Do the same with bottoms - shorts, capris, jeans, skirts, dress pants, etc.

2. While going through the closet, start a donation pile and a throwaway/rag pile and a giveaway pile for clothing you want to pass on to specific people.

3. Make a list of all the possible outfits, both summer and winter.

4. It will become obvious which articles of clothing have no matches or matching accessories - shoes, socks, jewelry, belts, etc.. Make a shopping list.

5. NOW it's time to shop! If you are shopping for your children, make back-to-school shopping a fun event. If you can, take one child at a time, have lunch together, and make it a special day.
 
Even though this process takes a while, it is far more productive. You may discover outfits you never considered, you'll clear the closet of unwanted items, and your shopping will be intentional rather than haphazard, which will likely save you money. And you and/or your child will have a list of outfits to wear - especially helpful on those days when choosing an outfit seems overwhelming!

Similar topics:
Organizing Your Child's Room   
Get Oranized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Clothes Closet
Get Organized for School - Clothing Inventory
Getting Organized for School - Learning Style

Teaching Children to Organize

 
How soon can you start teaching your children how to organize? In my opinion,  you can start teaching your children organization skills when they are small.

When you help them put away toys, you can talk about putting books away with the other books. Putting a truck in its special spot on the shelf. Legos in the box with other Legos.

When you do laundry, have your children help by folding their own clothes. It doesn't have to be a perfect job! Teach them to put like things together while folding and while putting them away. 

Yesterday while helping a client downsize for a move and we were in her son's bedroom, he pointed out to his mom that a shirt was in his pajama drawer. He put it away where it belonged. And he was only three or four!

While emptying the dishwasher, talk about spoons going with spoons, forks going with forks, bowls stacking on each other, etc. It teaches your children that everything has a place and like things go together.

There is something comforting to a child when there is order - life is predictable and safe, not chaotic and haphazard. Did you ever think about organization providing safety and security for your child? That's motivating, isn't it?


More about children and organization:

Get Organized Month 2009 - Family Five Minute Challenge

Organizing "Messy" Toys

Helping Your Child Declutter Toys Before Christmas

 

No Cost Organizing: Drawer Dividers

Looking for some easy ways to create drawer dividers at no cost?

 

1. Cut up cereal boxes and use as dividers for socks, undies, etc.

  Photo: A Little Hut

2. If your drawers are deep enough, you could also use shoe boxes.

3. In the kitchen, use plastic meat trays (that ground turkey comes in) to hold your measuring spoons or other small items.                                                                                

No need to go out and buy drawer dividers unless you wish to do so! 

More on no/low-cost storage:

Containerizing Your Kitchen

Don't Make the #1 Organizing Mistake

Gaining Storage without Losing Floor Space