Has Your Clutter Earned the Right to Live in Your Home?

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A couple of years ago I wrote a post about how things can be freeloaders in our homes.  Many times we have such an emotional attachment to our things that we lose sight of what’s of value to our lives and what isn’t.

I looked up the definition of “clutter” in my Webster’s New World College Dictionary.  Granted this book was the 1997 version and some definitions may have change. Anyway, it says that clutter is a number of things scattered in disorder or a jumble.  It doesn’t say that any of the things are junk, just that they are “scattered in disorder”.

Maybe this definition is part of the problem with understanding if our things are just cluttered or if they are freeloaders.  To understand how I defined what is a freeloader and what isn’t with regards to our things, please check out this blog post.

“Things” Can Be Freeloaders

Our lives are busy and sometimes we just don’t have time to keep everything organized.  But at some point it will become more than just a little mess.  This blog post explains what the difference is.

Is It Clutter or Just a Little Mess?

The more we educate ourselves on what is just a mess, what is clutter, what is a freeloader, and even what is junk and what is treasure, the easier it will be to emotionally detach ourselves from our things. Without our emotions clouding our logical thinking we will be able to decide which things have earned the right to live in our home and which should be kicked to the curb.

This article asks 12 questions that can help you think clearly as to whether your things are junk or treasure.

Is it Junk or Treasure?

Please let me know in the comment section what kind of “freeloaders” you have found living in your home.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

 

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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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Now is a Great Time to Have a Garage Sale if You Have Certain Items

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It may feel like it’s near the end of the Garage Sale season but now just might be a great time to have a sale.  With all the back to school shopping going on many parents are looking to stretch the budget and will buy some items at a garage sale (see below).

If you live near a university or college those students will be looking for used furniture and other household items to fill their dorm rooms or apartments.

It takes time to put together a big garage sale but if you have a fair amount of the items listed below you might want to consider having a quick garage sale in the next couple of weeks. That way you could take advantage of the back to school rush and clear out some of the clutter from your home. Plus you’ll be able to make a little extra money to help with your own back to school budget, if you have one.

Most schools do not reimburse school teachers for all the supplies, books, and other educational materials they have in their individual classrooms.  I know that at some of my past garage sales I have had teachers, especially new ones, looking for items (books, educational games, etc.) to build up their classroom resources for their students.

So check out the list of items below and if you have a fair amount of them you no longer use, consider planning a garage sale as soon as possible.

Children’s Items

  • children clothes – all sizes, but especially grade school
  • school supplies – new or slightly used
    1. backpacks
    2. lunch boxes/bags
    3. crayons, markers, pencils, pens
    4. 3-ring binders, pocket folders, notebook paper, erasers
    5. children’s books – good for building child’s home library and teachers like to purchase for their classrooms.
    6. calculators, rulers, staplers, etc.
  • educational learning toys and games

Household Items

  • small scale furniture – for small apartments or dorm rooms
  • kitchen supplies – for apartments and dorm rooms
    1. microwaves – usually small ones
    2. toaster ovens and hot plates (some dorms don’t allow these)
    3. dishes, silverware, pots, pans, mixing bowls, etc.
  • linens such as towels, sheets, comforters, etc.

Advertise the Sale

There are a lot of online sites to advertise your sale for free. Google your city and garage sales to help you find some local sites. You can also put an ad in your local paper.  You might be able to post a note about the sale in your local grocery store if they have a bulletin board for sale items.

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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