Back to School Organizing Basics

Back to School Organizing Basics

School Supplies and Backpacks

Be sure to clean and sort out all left over school supplies from the previous year so that you know what you already have on hand and what you need to purchase.  Maybe you caught a sale last season and you have 3 extra boxes of crayons that you completely forgot about over the course of the year.  If you are using last years backpacks you’ll want to completely empty the contents, check for rips or holes and launder if possible. 

Entryway Solutions

Entryway stations are a great way to catch and contain a great amount of potential clutter immediately as the family walks through the door each day.  A good family entryway station should have a few simple, but important features if possible. 

• ·         Hooks – at least 2 (separate) sturdy hooks for each family member.  Each member will need a place to hang their coats, scarves and a backpack or purse.  Be sure to place the hooks at the appropriate height for each child or adult to easily reach.
• ·         Cubbies and/or baskets - each person should have a cubby or basket available for hats and scarves or other miscellaneous items that may be needed on the way out the door.  Use lower cubbies for smaller children and higher cubbies for older kids and adults.
• ·         Shoe storage – shoes seem to multiple like bunnies near the entryway in the fall and winter.  Shoe storage can be as simple at a mat under a bench, a shoe rack or a shoe cabinet.  The main thing to bear in mind is that the system is only as good as the maintenance, so feel free to choose the number of shoes that each family member can keep at the entryway.  Maybe 4 pairs per family member will work for your household; whatever the magic number it’s important to stay with that number and put away any extra shoes that gather on a weekly basis.
• ·         Drawers – another great feature for an entryway are drawers.  Preferably 1 per family member if possible; this allows each family member a place to put keys, wallets and loose change.  You can easily add dividers or small containers so that small items stay organized within the drawers.
• ·         Bench or seat – it’s just nice to have a place to sit and put on or remove your shoes as you come and go each day.
• ·          

Family Communication Center

Family Calendar

A good family communication center can save you many hours of frustration and stress over the course of the school year.   The heart of a family communication center is the calendar.  Choose an area in the home that is conveniently located for all members to easily assess the center.  Pick a calendar that has plenty of room to add each person’s activities for the day, week and month.  Consider color coding by using a different color marker for each family members activities.  A dry erase calendar is a good choice because schedules do change and it’s nice to be able to quickly and easily make changes to your calendar as they occur.  The key to using a family calendar is to add any and all activities, appointments, events and practices for each person as soon as the dates are available. Take the time in the beginning of the school year to sit down with the family and enter every existing date.

Bulletin Board

Another useful organizing solution for a communication center is a bulletin board.  This can be used to post chores for each family member, to pin up notices, permission slips or announcements.  To avoid cluttering your board, decide in advance exactly what items you really want posted on your board and stick to just those items.  Remember to remove old items at least once a month. 

Vertical File Holder

 A vertical file holder is a great way to store papers that need some kind of action when they come into the home.  Your child may need homework signed and returned the next day or a permission slip signed for a field trip.  Each family member can have a slot designed with their name that can be checked daily.

Artwork and Schoolwork Storage

Artwork and schoolwork storage is a significant organizational dilemma for many people each semester.   There are many great ideas for displaying and saving artwork throughout each school year and that in itself can pose a problem.  Too many ideas and not enough time in the day to implement them all!  The point I’m trying to make is to NOT implement them all.  Pick one system and stick to it for a designated amount of time – say one month.  If you love it then continue to use it, if you hate it or it’s not working then move on to the next solution.  Give yourself permission to change your mind, however; don’t change your mind so frequently that you can’t fully take advantage of a system that might work.  Here are some ideas to try. 

Displaying Artwork

• ·         Try frames that allow you to easily change and store your children’s art work in seconds.  Each frame has a hinged door that swings open to allow you to easily change or better yet, store up to 50 pictures per frame.
• ·         Another great way to display artwork is using the IKEA Clip and Cable System .  Simply select an area for display and clip up the art work of your choosing in an instant.
• ·         For those who are more creative you can scan in your children’s art and resize it down to business card size photos.  Then create one piece of art using as many of the scanned images as you choose to create a virtual collage of your child’s art.

Storing Artwork

• ·         If you’re looking for a way to simply store your children’s art until the end of the year then consider using a simple portfolio for each child. They are large enough to accommodate bulletin board pieces of art and easy to store.  You can purchase a simple art portfolio at your nearest art or craft store or order a bulletin board storage case at Deluxe Bulletin Board Storage.
• ·         Children’s art can also be stored in clean pizza boxes or file folders.  Be sure to have one box or folder per child to avoid confusion.

How to Manage Your College Students Summer Clutter

So your college kid is coming home for summer break with a car load of “stuff” in tow.   That organized checklist you created to make sure junior had everything he needed for a successful college career has now multiplied and is coming back to haunt you for the summer.  The problem may be compounded if you decided to re-purpose his room while he was away; after all he does need a place to sleep when he comes home. He may have moved out, but more often than not he still considers that to be his room on a psychological and emotional level.  So where do you put all that stuff?   What do you do with that bean bag chair, microwave, mini refrigerator and giant blow up Corona bottle?

Well, to be honest, it depends…if he packs up all of his belongings in containers AND you have space available in your garage, basement or attic then the answer is relatively easy and you simply need to store it until it’s time to head back to school; however, if you don’t have the storage room or if he randomly tosses it all in his car in garbage bags or worse yet,  no containers at all, then rest assured all that stuff will end up somewhere in your home scattered or piled about. 

Pre-plan

The best way to avoid the onslaught of stuff coming into the home is to approach the problem before it happens and have a discussion with your college student before they pack up to come home.  If you have re-purposed their room then make sure they know ahead of time to avoid the shock and disappointment, and then work with them to devise a plan for their belongings when they come home.  When it comes to packing up any space a little pre-planning goes a long way.  First decide what space your student will occupy when he returns home. Next discuss how to store any items that won’t fit in the provided space—see below for storage options.  You may even want to limit your student to a certain number of suitcases or boxes that will be allowed in the space for the summer. This will help them learn to plan better in the future and help you control the clutter coming into the home. Finally, talk to them about how they plan to pack—see below for packing tips.  Limiting them to 2 suitcases and 3 boxes is not the same as 8 garbage bags full of stuff, so be clear about your expectations to avoid any misunderstandings and hard feelings.

How to Pack for a Move

The most efficient way to pack for a move is to sort all items into categories. For example they would gather all their pens, pencils and markers together in one category and all their notebooks, pads and Post It Notes in a separate category.  The same process would apply to all the rest of their belongings.  The process allows them to quickly see if they have an over abundance in any category so they can easily decide what to keep, toss or donate. Once they have everything sorted, categorized and purged they can begin the process of packing.

 I recommend packing the smaller items in banker’s boxes.  They are large enough to fit a fair amount of items and small enough so they aren’t too heavy when fully packed.  In addition they are reasonably priced, have handles and are easy to label. You can even go green by purchasing used banker’s boxes at Box It. If water or moisture damage is a concern then use plastic totes.  I suggest using clear, medium sized totes so the items inside are easily identifiable and the container is not too large to carry when fully packed.  Larger, oddly shaped items like bean bag chairs can be stored in large contractor garbage bags to protect items from dirt and water damage.    

If your student is living across country and has more than a car load of items to tote home, then it might more prudent to look into renting an offsite storage unit for the summer.  This way he can simply pack a couple of bags and drive or fly home for the summer.  There are some great options available, such as CollegeBoxes  or DoortoDoor  that cater to college students and even deliver the boxes to their dorm and pick them up after they are packed. 

If a storage unit is not in the budget and junior has too many items to lug home you can consider donating or using Freecycle to downsize any unnecessary or unwanted items before loading up the car for home.  The best way to load a car for the greatest use of space is to load the larger inflexible items first, followed by smaller inflexible items, then items that can be squeezed in the odd sized empty spaces.  Clothing can be packed into any suitcases you have or if the suitcases take up too much room you can layer the suitcases one inside the other and use garbage bags to pack your clothes.  This way you can squeeze the clothes into all the unused spaces left in your car.

How to Re-purpose Your Grad’s Room

So the kids have moved out and you suddenly have space to spare.  Too often that space becomes a free storage unit for the leftover items your children didn’t want cluttering their new home or it becomes a dumping ground for all those items that can never seem to find a permanent home. You know… the craft projects that were never completed, the ever growing collection of nylon grocery bags or the backup luggage you are keeping in case the other backup luggage suddenly falls apart. 

If this sounds familiar then now is the time to consider how you would really like to use and enjoy that space.  First thing you’ll want to do is remove the clutter and completely clear the space.  Now you have a clean pallet and the possibilities are endless; here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Exercise Room:  If you enjoy exercise, but not necessarily going to the gym, then an exercise room may be the perfect solution.  Focus on the activities that you truly enjoy and purchase only the equipment you know you will use.  For example, do not purchase that top of the line treadmill if you hate stationary aerobic equipment.  People often purchase exercise equipment because they feel they should do a certain activity; then end up using the equipment as a clothing rack because they don’t enjoy the activity.

Media Room: Create a media room with comfy chairs, big screen TV and refreshment center.  

Entertainment Room: This could be a bar with a pool table and dart board or an area for a poker table or portable card tables.

Crafter or Hobby Room: Add long tables with roll out drawers, peg boards and lots of cubbies to create a customized space for all of your crafts.

Office: If you have always wanted to start your own business this may be your golden opportunity. Add a desk, a couple of book cases, a file cabinet and you have the beginnings of a great work space.

Meditation or Reading Room: Maybe you’re looking for a place to quiet your mind and have some time to reflect and read. Find a comfy chair, good lighting, and maybe a plant or two and try to keep the number of items in the room to a minimum for the most soothing effect.

Guest Room:  Many people like to have space for family and guests to visit without sending them to a local hotel or blowing up an air mattress. Create a spa like space with reading materials, fluffy towels, baskets with personal toiletries and brochures of the local sites.

Closet Room: This is my personal favorite!  Turn that space into a room sized closet complete with dressing table, island, shoe wall and built in jewelry organizer. It just doesn’t get any better.

How to Organize Your Move

Advance planning is critical to orchestrate any successful move and the timetable below will walk you through all the necessary steps.

Six Weeks Prior to Move 

• Review your relocation allowance from your employer. Verify the expenses they will cover and which are your responsibility.
• Hire a mover and get 3 quotes from licensed companies.

Five Weeks Prior to Move

• Conduct a room-by-room survey to determine what to keep, sell or donate.
• Photograph or videotape valuable items and save for insurance purposes.
• Plan a yard sale, call your local charity or make other arrangements to dispose of items you will not be shipping.
• Start a file to keep all your moving documents in one location.  Tip: An accordion file works well because it’s contained, light weight and has lots of pockets for various information.

Four Weeks Prior to Move

• Gather moving materials.  Boxes, tape, tape dispensers, box cutters, etc.
• Call your local garage to schedule an appointment for routine maintenance. Check with your mover about car moving specifics if you are planning on shipping your car.  
• Take pets to the veterinarian for shots and inoculations. ID and rabies tags should be securely attached to your pet’s collar.  Make arrangements at the kennel, if necessary to board your pet.
• Make a list of everyone to notify regarding your move such as: family, friends, insurance company, utility companies, doctors, accountant, bank, lien holders, credit card accounts, service providers, etc.
• Book your flights if you are flying to your new destination.
• Make arrangements for hotel or temporary living accommodations, rental car, etc.
• Cancel magazine and newspaper subscriptions and club memberships.
• Contact the Chamber of Commerce at your destination city for a welcome package.  Get acquainted with your new city!

Three Weeks Prior to Move

• Clean out your closets, garage, tool shed, attic, etc.
• Start packing infrequently used items. You can number boxes and keep a master inventory.
• Complete change of addresses forms and return to the post office or complete forms online. Forms are available at US Post Office website.
• Obtain necessary medical and dental records, school records, legal and financial documents and backup copies of computer files.
• Notify utility services. Request that utilities, phone and Internet be shut off the day after you the move and installed in the new home the day before before arrival.
• Hire a cleaning company to clean both the old and new spaces.
• Plan meals to use up perishable and frozen items.

Two Weeks Prior to Move

• Transfer prescriptions and ask for medical referrals. Be sure to have and adequate supply of medicine on hand.
• Check with insurance company to transfer coverage to your new home.
• If driving, have your car cleaned and serviced for the trip.  Prepare to have auto registration transferred.
• Call locksmith and arrange to have locks changed in new home.

One Week Prior to Move

• Reconfirm your travel and hotel accommodations at your new destination.
• Arrange child care services and pet care for pack date/s if necessary.
• Arrange parking permits and reserve elevator if necessary.
• Dispose of house plants – give them to friends and family or donate to a hospital or nursing home.
• Arrange for trash to be picked up after you leave.
• Dispose of flammable and explosive items. Typical items classified as dangerous goods that can not be transported are: bleach products, paint, gas cylinders, cleaning fluids, aerosols, gas and kerosene.
• Drain fuel from lawn mower and other machinery.  Drain all water hoses. 
• Provide information sheet to movers with old and new addresses, directions and cell phone numbers.
• Create a last out and first in box of necessities. Bedding, towels, toiletries, toilet paper, basic tools, cleaning supplies, medications, snacks and a camera to document anything that was broken during the move.

One Day Prior to Move

• Finish packing any personal items you wish to take with you and set aside suitcases and sufficient clothing for at least 1 week.
• Disconnect TV, stereo and computer components. Pack all connection cords in clearly marked carton.
• Assemble all airline tickets, currency, credit cards, jewelry, medical records, school records, personal information, documents pertaining to your new home, cell phones and laptop computers. Be sure to keep separate so the packers do not pack in your shipment.  
• Defrost and clean freezer and refrigerator. Discard any remaining food items.

Moving Day

• Plan your day so that you will be at your residence while the movers are there. Be available to direct the crew and answer any questions. Point out any items that require special handling or that you will want unloaded first at destination.
• Perform a “walk through” with the crew leader to make sure all items have been packed that are intended to be moved. Check the attic, basement, shed, closets, garage, drawers and cupboards.
• Give keys to real estate agent.
• Meet movers at the new home. Check items off inventory list as they are unloaded.
• Inspect for damages. Photograph relevant items before signing the release/bill of lading.
• Test faucets, toilets, utilities, phones, smoke detectors and security systems. Turn on water heater.
• Unpack.

Tips to Organize Your Garden Shed

• Gather all your garden tools into one location 
• Access the condition of all the tools
• Repair or throw out broken or unused tools
• Clean and sharpen tools and oil any moving parts
• Replenish items such as weed wacker cord, garbage bags and garden ties
• Clean clay pots with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle
• Determine tool storage area based on how often you use an item.  Keep tools that are used frequently close at hand or near your workbench.
• Utilize peg boards to hang hand tools, shelving for pots and buckets on casters for potting soil. Use clear plastic containers to store small items such as garden labels and ties.

One Organizing Solution Does Not Fit All

A client told me the other day that her husband said she should use only a given number of filing drawers for each category of papers and that should be enough.  Ohhh, if only that were the case, then we could use a one size fits all approach and everyone would be much more organized and infinitely less stressed.  However, there is no one size fits all when it comes to getting and remaining organized.  One person may have only a few household files, while another may need to maintain a large number of files on an ongoing basis.  The trick is to determine what items/papers you really need to keep and find a system that works for the way you think, so that you can maintain that system over time.

Truth be told, there are as many ways to organize a space as there are people to fill that space.  A system that works for you may not work for your best friend or even your husband.  So what is the solution when it comes to figuring out the best way to get organized?  How do you know what system would be best for the way you live and work?

Take Stock

• The first thing is to take stock of what you actually have.  That means sort it out, purge it and in some situations you may even need to inventory your items.  This is the hard part and usually the most time consuming and it’s a crucial step that you should not skip.
• Next, take a look at the systems or solutions you have tried in the past and ask yourself what did and did not work.  If a system did work then pinpoint why it worked; this will give you some insight into what will work for you going forward.
• Conversely, you will need to determine what systems did not work and ask yourself why.  For example, was it the type of system or maybe the location of the system—what specifically was it about that organizing implement or system that rendered it useless?
• Once you’ve determined what works you can begin to formulate a better fit for the future.

Ask Some Basic Questions

• Now, ask yourself some questions.
• Do I need to see my files or items in front of me to find what I need?
• Do I prefer to organize my items based on a color system?
• Am I an analytical thinker and need a clear desk to feel organized?
• Once you know a little more about how you think in terms of your organizing style you can begin to work through the process of discovering the organizing solutions that work for you.

The Process

Notice I used the word process above to describe the next step.  Finding, implementing and maintaining any organizational system is most often a process and a journey.  Many people think all will be perfect and life will automatically be easier once they’re organized; however, it doesn’t usually work that way in everyday life.  For most it takes practice actually using the system, and then some trial and error to develop good organizational systems and habits that work over time.  It’s very much like getting back into shape when you have not exercised for a long time.  First you have to actually find an activity that you like or at least prefer, and then you need to develop a schedule that you can stick to on a regular basis. Next you need to actually devote the time and effort into the activity to get results. The act of getting and remaining organized is as varied and individual as you are, so be patient, be flexible and be consistent and you too will find the perfect system that works just for you.

Schedule an In-Home Initial Needs Assessment to determine your organization style today.  Call or email Your Tasks – Our Time at 610.847.5422 or darla@yourtasksourtime.com.

Get Organized for Tax Time

Quick! When was the first United States income tax and which president made it happen?

Abraham Lincoln signed this revenue-raising method into law in 1862 to help the federal government pay for the expense of the Civil War.

Now that you know the genesis of our document overload, here is some easy and cost-saving advice.

Don’t Wait

Don’t wait to start collecting your tax information. April 15 will be here before you know it. So begin now. Procrastinate too long and you’ll have to seek an extension of time to file your tax return

Dumping Ground

Having said that, where is your tax documentation?

Shoe boxes may work as a dumping ground; but it will cost billable time when your accountant has to wade through the clump of receipts and paperwork to find what’s needed to prepare your tax return.

Accordion File

Start the new tax year with an accordion file labeled “Current Taxes.” (You can reuse this file in future years.) Make it easily accessible. Label the inner folders, or 6 inch by 9 inch manila envelopes, for medical expenses, donations, bank statements, investments, expense records, payroll, etc. This makes it quick and easy to deposit all of your tax-related documents in the appropriate section.

Best of all, this time next year, when you hand the accordion file to your accountant you’ll both be smiling.

Bankers Boxes

TIP: Instead of shoeboxes use bankers boxes (cardboard boxes found at a local office supply store) for your archival tax records. Label the tax years on the front of the boxes and stack them elsewhere – away from your daily work area. As you place the current year in – remove the backup for the seventh year when possible.

Discard

Keep in mind that not all records need to be retained from one year to the next. While you should check with an accountant for specific guidelines, the following items can generally be discarded after one year:

• Paycheck stubs – once they’ve been reconciled with annual W-2 or 1099 forms.
• Telephone and utility bills – unless they’re used for a home office or have other tax consequences. If not, keep the latest statements only – new one in, oldest one out.
• Monthly bank statements – that are not used for itemizing deductions or in business. Monthly or quarterly mutual fund or brokerage statements – once they’re reconciled with the year-end summary.
• Monthly mortgage statements – if the year-end statement indicates the interest and property taxes paid during the year.
• Expired insurance policies – toss.
• Old wills, powers of attorney or living wills – toss (keeping old versions may lead to confusion about your wishes).

Items to Keep

BUT HOLD ONTO THESE ITEMS:

• Income tax records – 1099s, W-2s and other tax forms, as well as records that support your deductions, for at least six years.
• Real estate records – including the deed to your home and mortgage contract.
• Insured valuables – receipts, along with photos or videos of the items, for insurance purposes.
• Stock purchases, IRA account information, etc. – investment activity (buy/sell).

These organizing tips will help you be better organized for filing taxes in 2011.

Sally Allen, a certified professional organizer, is CEO and owner of A Place For Everything. Since founding her company in 1997, Sally continues to help individuals and companies around the country effectively arrange space and efficiently manage time.

Her professional, friendly, approach to organizing for stress-free living is evident in her guest appearances on HGTV and the ABC TV-affiliate in Denver, in the pages of Real Simple magazine and Better Homes and Gardens magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Denver Business Journal and in other media. Visit her website at

APlaceForEverythingLLC.com.

Content provided by OnlineOrganizing.com — offering “a world of organizing solutions!” Visit www.onlineorganizing.com for organizing products, free tips, a speakers bureau, get a referral for a Professional Organizer near you, or get some help starting and running your own organizing business.

Kitchen Organizing Tips

Kitchen Organizing Tips

Quick and Easy Desk Top Organization

Getting organized does not have to be an impossible task. With a little dedicated time and some simple methods you can get and stay organized.

Clear the space you want to organize – a good way to get started is to place your stacks of papers in a basket or box and start working from the top down.

Sort & purge – quickly sort through papers by creating 4 filing categories.

• Do it
• File it
• Delegate it
• Pitch it

Use a filing system that works with the way you process information – once you have sorted all of your papers you will need an on-going filing system that works with the way you process information. You may need to use a color coded system, or verbs might be the best way to label your files and if you are really analytical you might prefer a numerical system. Just be sure to pick a system that works for the way you think.

Put supplies you need and use most close at hand – your desk and your most needed supplies should radiate around you and be easy to reach at all times.

Use only one notebook for all notes and tasks – keep all notes and to do lists in one place.

Utilize a two tray desktop organizer – one tray is for long term projects you need close at hand and the other tray is for work you need to accomplish that day.

Consider using 2 monitors – one for your calendar and one for your work.

Keep your drawers tidy – use drawer organizers to store extra supplies and keep you desk clear of clutter.

Keep your desk clear – eliminate excessive personal items and start with a clean slate each day.

Fall Organizing Checklist

Inside List:

• Sort through your spring and summer clothing. This is a great way to clear the clutter. Be sure to wash the clothes before you box them up for your favorite charity
• Pull out your fall and winter items and put them away as you organize your closet
• Change the bedding to get ready for the cool months ahead. Wash and store the light weight bedding and pull out the heavy linens
• Pull out the humidifier to help put moisture back into the dry environment during the colder months. This will actually help make the room feel warmer
• Change the direction of your ceiling fans to move clockwise. Doing so creates an upward draft that pushes the warm down from the ceiling and redistributes it throughout the room
• Clean radiators and vents before the cold weather starts
• Have your fireplace inspected and cleaned if necessary to ensure it’s in good working order

Outside List:

• Pull up dead annuals and compost what you remove
• Cut back the perennials for the next season
• Get your leaf blowers and rakes ready to roll before the leaves start to come down
• Clean out gutters and downspout so the water doesn’t back up and cause damage to your home
• Start planting your spring bulbs
• Begin to stock up on firewood
• Make sure you have a few bags of salt or sand on hand for those unexpected snow storms
• Spray your shovels with WD40 to help the snow slide right off when you are shoveling
• Clean outdoor furniture before storing away for the winter