Planning

7 Tips for Back to School Evening Routine

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This past weekend my neighbor’s son headed back to college.  It seems like just last week I was asking him what his plans were for the summer break.

Our local school starts tomorrow.  I live one house from the corner where the school bus stops.  Although my children are grown I’m always reminded that school is in session when I hear the kids laughing or talking or even running down the sidewalk yelling for the bus to wait for them.

Mornings can be hectic trying to get everyone out of the house on time.  The best way to have the mornings run smooth is to have a good evening routine.

I know, it’s easy to say but a lot harder to do!

The best way I know how to do an evening routine is to write out a check list that is followed each night.  Then practice, practice, practice.

It will be up to you to teach your children to follow their list. You may even want to give them some incentives such as a weekend movie, a special treat, or some other reward for them doing well with their evening routine.  They are more likely to follow it if they know they will be rewarded for good behavior. If you have them help you develop the list and rewards they will take more ownership of it.

Here are some suggestions to put on the check list.  You may want to individualize it for each child according to their age and grade level.

Evening routine check list:

  1. Homework: Time (set a minimum time according to their age. Even if they don’t have specific homework have them do some reading, drawing, or other creative activity during this time.)
  2. Put completed homework in backpack.
  3. Take clothes out for next day.
  4. Prepare lunch box/bag (non-perishables) or put lunch money in backpack or wallet.
  5. Make sure any permission slips are filled out and put in backpack.
  6. Personal hygiene list: bath or shower, brush teeth, wash face, prepare for bed.
  7. Bed time: make sure it is age appropriate and that they know it’s lights out. If children want to read before going to bed they will need a “getting into bed” time and a “lights out” time.

Once you have made up the check list be sure to post it in the child’s room, a control center location (kitchen, family room, mud room) or both areas.

The Flylady website has a Student Control Journal that can help with both the evening routine and the morning routine.

The more you and your children practice the evening routine the smoother the mornings will go for everyone in your household. So get that check list started today!

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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Back to School Tax Free Weekends

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There are many states and cities that offer tax free weekends to help parents with back to school items.  If you live in one of the states listed in the link below you just might want to schedule your shopping trip for that weekend.  It could save you some money depending on the state and what is purchased.

Please be aware that the savings may be minimal and you might do better looking for the good sales instead. Many stores are pushing the back to school supplies now so don’t wait until the last minute to shop.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/03/pf/taxes/sales-tax-holiday/index.htm

 

I have written a lot of articles/posts about back to school to help you get organized. In this month’s newsletter (August) I wrote some tips to help make back to school shopping a more positive experience for everyone. If you are not already signed up to receive the free monthly newsletters you can do so here.  If you sign up in the next week or so I’ll be sure to send you a copy of the August newsletter.

All the blog posts regarding school tips (or any other tip category) can easily be found by going to the right sidebar on this blog.  Scroll down until you find the “Category” section. Click on the box to find all the categories and towards the bottom will be “school”.  When you click on that it will bring up all the blog posts that have school tips in them. That will make it easy to find the tips that can help you the most.

If you have any questions please ask me in the comment section.  If you have any Back to School tips you would like to share please put those in the comment section also.  Thank you.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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Back to School Tips

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Everywhere you look there are “Back to School” products being advertised. It just seems like yesterday that the kids were running down the street to catch the bus.

The first day and even the first few weeks of school can be total chaos if you don’t plan ahead.  Below are a few tips to help you get organize now plus take advantage of those “Back to School” sales.

 

Clothes Shoppingschool boy in jeans

Although my boys are grown now, I remember those crazy days with getting ready for the first day of school. It always seemed like they grew an inch or two over the summer. That made shopping for school clothes a challenge especially in the early years. Because I knew it would stay warm enough for them to wear shorts until at least mid-September I didn’t go out a buy too many winter clothes (pants or long sleeve tops) yet. Some years they grew out of their jeans every few months! I wrote about it in this blog post.

 

School Supplies

Notebooks, Eraser and Pencil
Notebooks, Eraser and Pencil

Now is the time to take advantage of the sales on school supplies. Just remember to only stock up on basic supplies you know the kids will need. It’s also a good idea to keep these basics in neutral colors so they won’t become an outdated design before the school year is over. Go ahead a buy a few things with this year’s popular character on it.  Just limit the amount and if money is tight stick with pocket folders and other lower cost items. The more expensive items like 3-ring notebooks and backpacks, if bought in basic colors, can usually be reused for a couple of years.

 

School Papers

If you didn’t go through all the old papers from last year yet take time now to do it. It will be a good feeling to have those decluttered and organized before all the new school papers start entering your home at high speed.  It will help your children start off the new year more organized without last year’s clutter laying around.  The article “Decluttering Children’s School Papers” gives you step by step instructions to help you.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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Planning for Your Vacation

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July and August are big vacation months. I know I’m looking forward to taking my vacation at the end of this month.  But before I go there is a lot of planning to do ahead of time to make sure everything goes smooth.

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The main thing people want during a vacation is to have some fun or relaxation and not worry about what could go wrong. So a great offence is the best defense.  Think about what could go wrong now and plan to prevent it as much as possible.

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Here is a list of some of the common worries and what actions to take before leaving on your trip.  Below I have listed several websites and articles for more information.

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Do you worry about:

  1. Forgetting to pack something?
    • Make a list of all the clothes, toiletries, and other items each person in your family will need for each day of your trip. Don’t forget to put both day and evening clothes. Many items should be listed more than once. Make a master-list for each person. This will be your packing list. From this list you can make a shopping list if you still need some items. 
  2. Will the planned activates go as planned?
    • Hopefully they will but a little planning ahead of time could make all the difference.  Check online for the times and day the place is open before you leave for your trip. You don’t want to show up on a Tuesday only to find out that is the one day that tourist spot is closed. Also be sure to check out entry fees (amount, cash, or charge) and possible coupons. Many coupons are available online only and those few extra dollars per person can really add up the savings.
  3. If you are driving will you find your destination without getting lost?
    • GPS systems work great but are not perfect. Whether you have one in your car or phone it’s probably a good idea to have a hard copy backup. That means using Mapquest, Google Maps, or another map service to route out your driving. I print out directions and a map for each point A to point B I’m going to. Then I clearly label the top of the paper with the “From” location and the “To” location plus the date I will be driving it. This goes in my travel planner and has saved time, stress, and gas money on many trips.

Take the worry out of the vacation by taking care of the little things before hand. That will free up your time during the vacation to have fun and/or relaxation.

Here are some sites to help you with packing checklists.  Just remember to pack light. Most airlines not only charge for luggage they will charge extra over a certain weight. The key is to stick with the basics and be willing to wash out some clothes at night in the bathroom sink if necessary.

http://www.vacation-lists.com/

http://traveltheworldguide.com/what-pack-for-vacation/

If traveling with children has you worried about them getting bored or anxious during the trip check out the links in this blog post. There are lots of easy travel games and ideas to keep them busy for a long time.

http://organizebythemonth.com/are-we-there-yet-travel-games/

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

 

 

 

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One Easy Way to Prevent Clutter

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If clutter and organization are a problem for you (most likely since you’re reading this blog) then I’m sure you’re always looking for an easy way to solve that problem. Even if you take the time and effort to clear out the clutter it’s so hard to keep it from coming back. After all, we have to buy food, clothes, and household items on a regular basis.  Then there is the incoming mail, school papers, gifts, etc.

We can’t prevent everything from coming into our homes nor would we want to. But we do have the power to control many things that might become clutter if we take a little time to plan ahead.

One of the easiest and simplest ways is to use a shopping list. Yes, I said a shopping list. I know that sounds boring and ruins the fun of shopping. But, most of the items that become clutter are purchased on impulse and without planning.

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Creating a habit of making a shopping list every time you go to a store will help reduce the chance of bringing clutter into your home now and in the future. This really is an easy habit to create if you have the right tools always available. I use a white board on my refrigerator for grocery and other household items I’ve run out of or want to buy. I also make sure I have pen and paper to transfer that list to take with me. I know a lot of people are using their smart phones to make the list. It doesn’t matter what you use as long as you make that list before going to the store.

Think about it. How often have you stopped at the grocery store without a list and bought items you thought you needed. When you got home you found there were several cans/packages of that item already on the shelf or in the freezer. If you use it up before the expiration date then that’s great. But if you don’t get around to using the item (because you have too many) before it’s expired then you’ve not only created clutter you’ve also wasted money.

The same thing holds true for clothes shopping, back to school shopping, or any other kind of household shopping. If you make a list before you go to the store you’ll know exactly what you need or want. No guessing involved! That will reduce the times you purchase something that ends up as clutter. Therefore you’re preventing clutter from entering your home to begin with.

Remember, a bargain isn’t a bargain if it ends up as clutter!

So make that list. Check it twice. Then you’ll find it so much easier to keep your home nice.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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