ReCheck Your Fall/back to school schedules

Now its the time to see if our schedules are fitting the back to school routine. Take the time now to revamp your schedules and chores if needed. Don’t wait till the house is a disaster and you don’t know where to start. You should have a feeling now that its either working or its not. With practice schedules, dance schedules, homework schedules and everything in between you may need to be a little flexible in your own schedule.

Now is also a good time to set your kids routine in order. Be sure that they are staying with a specific routine when they come home from school. Make good habits for them. Are they giving you the papers that you need to see? Are they doing their homework without being told? Are they throwing their backpacks wherever or are they putting things in their place? If your child knows that homework is to be done each day right after school, there will be no fight. You shouldn’t have to have reminders. They know and will get into the habit of just doing it. Kids do like consistency. They like to know whats going on and when.

If they or you are constantly wondering whats next, than you will all be living in chaos and confusion. Things get lost, homework doesn’t get done, things are forgotten and no one succeeds. Stay on top of things. Keep your calendars updated. Get the kids into the habit of checking their calendars daily. If you haven’t already, drop a line to your kids teachers to introduce yourself. You can call, email or write a letter. Don’t wait for the open house and get lost in the dozens of other parents. Do it now and keep the lines of communication open with them. It will be beneficial to you and your child. Your childs teacher will also see that you are involved and care about your kids education.

This is also a good time to join the PTA if you have the time. This is a busy time of year for all of us. A lot of things are going on. Not only do we have back to school, but with it sport schedules, dr. appointments, holidays, and our everyday duties. So sit back, take a deep breath and really get it together. Don’t let things just happen and fly by the seat of your pants. We want our children to model themselves after us. Show them how to be organized and efficient and successful!

Spring Clean The Coat Closet!!

Heres an easy Spring Cleaning Job to get you into the spring clean groove...the coat closet! We know it needs to be done..you'll be amazed at how much storage room you have once those winter coats are put away! Plus you'll really feel like spring is here once they are out of site!

It is that time of year when we don’t need the big bulky coats and scarves and hats and gloves. Cleaning the hall coat closet will give you more room to store other things and make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
To begin with, start by completely emptying the closet of all its contents.

Get in there with the vacuum cleaner and clean the walls, corners, floor and shelves.

Then use a solution of water and mild soap or white vinegar to wipe the entire area down

Don’t forget to wipe down the pole, and then wash or vacuum the floor.

Before putting anything back into the closet, decide what you are going to keep.

If your Childs winter coat was getting a little snug, its not going to fit next year, get rid of it.

If you have coats and jackets that need repaired zippers, or buttons sewed on, decide if you’re going to do this or if it will still be needing repair next year. If you don’t have time to repair them yourself, take it to the dry cleaner, most do simple zipper repairs.

What else did you have stashed in that closet? Is it the best place to store it? Does it have a different home and somehow found its way there? Put things back where they belong.

Throw out or donate things that haven’t been used in the last year. Chances are its either junk or its something someone else could use.

Store the winter coats and accessories somewhere else. If you lack a lot of storage space, try the vacuum sealed packs, there are special made ones just for coats. Then store away. This will create a ton of space for you!!

What To Keep In The Closet: spring coats, and umbrellas. Hang a plastic shoe rack that you can store a pair of slippers in to put on when you take your shoes off. You can also store more than just shoes in the pockets of these, such as flip flops, garden gloves, keys, camera, flashlights, etc.

Invest in heavy wooden hangers. Throw out any wire hangers, and plastic broken hangers. The wooden ones will last forever, keep the closet looking neater, and hold up to heavier coats.

A small shoe rack on the floor is perfect for the family to keep their shoes nice and neat. Put it on top of a small rubber mat to catch the dirt and water. It will be easier to remove the mat to clean then have to clean the whole floor.

On the shelves if you have them, is a good place to store extra large appliances you don’t use daily, like the mixer or blender.

If you have a large closet, you can store TV trays, your vacuum cleaner, board games, envelopes and stationary, phone books, blankets for picnics or fireworks, etc. Use your imagination and use the space wisely. Keep it clean and tidy by keeping on schedule and keeping good habits!

Declutter Before You Spring Clean!

No one loves to spring clean more than me!! I love that it means the warm weather is around the corner! Its a new fresh start to your cleaning routine. But before you begin, you have to, no you must..de clutter. Thats right, get rid of the junk..and its just junk, believe me! Your life and your cleaning routine will be so much easier without it. Its less you have to clean, pick up, put away, launder..so much easier! Once you've decluttered, you can organize what you have left..this is all part of spring cleaning ladies! Are you ready??

I know that the hardest part of getting organized is getting started. All you need to do for the next week is commit 15 minutes a day on de cluttering. Here are 7 tips to help you get started!!!

1. Make an appointment with yourself. Write it down on the calendar. And then keep that appointment like you would any other appointment such as the dentist. You have an appointment to unclutter something. Do not cancel or reschedule!!! Mark it down..the date, the time, and the mission! Remember you only have to do it for 15 minutes, but once you get going you may find that you can push it to 30 minutes or more!
2. Start small. Unclutter one shelf, one drawer, or one small area until you are done. You can set timers and give yourself a break if you need to, just be sure that it’s done before the end of the day. Do not go to bed with the job not done. This is why we are only picking ONE shelf, drawer, etc. You'll never get to sleep knowing that the whole closet is in piles on the floor. Keep it small!!! Don't schedule "declutter the basement" Just schedule what you can do in 15 minutes. "declutter the christmas section of basement" You may have to schedule this task for more than one day, but it will eventually all get done.
3. Set simple daily goals for yourself. Today, I’m going to clean out the sock drawer. And then do it. You can clean out the junk drawer while you wait for the water to boil for dinner! Just grab the garbage bag and start throwing out the junk.
4. Reward yourself. Plan on a nice soak in the tub when you finish the job. You’ll have something to look forward to, and the sooner you get the chore done, the sooner you’ll be in bath bubbles. Hard work deserves a reward! While the finished product of an organized and decluttered home will be a reward in itself, you need to give yourself something special for a job well done!
5. Find the mess. Figure out the one area that frustrates you the most. The bill basket, the toy bin, the junk drawer. If you’re constantly paying late charges because of misplaced bills, then BINGO, theres the problem. Clean and organize the area where your bills are kept.
6. Have the whole family help.Make a list of organizing projects and write each one on a separate piece of paper. Put them all in a jar or bowl. Set aside a Saturday afternoon. Have each member that is capable, reach inside and pick a slip of paper. Everyone does that organizing/declutter project until it’s done. You may want to do separate bowls that are age appropriate. Small kids can organize too! Don’t underestimate them; sometimes we over think things, while they have the simple solution! Don't forget to reward your family for their work..a night out to the movies, or out for ice cream might help to motivate them! 7. Don’t try and get it all done in one day. Walk away when you have had enough. The clutter didn’t get there overnight, and it won’t disappear overnight either. Don't get discouraged, you just start again tomorrow!

1. Things you love or use.
2. Things you could give away
3. Things that belong in the trash
4. Things you could sell
5. Things that belong elsewhere.

Be sure to put away what needs to be put away.

The things that need to get thrown out, do so.

The things that you’re going to give away or donate, place right into your car to be taken to a drop box, or the church. Don't just set them aside..straight into the car they go!!!

The things you’re going to sell, place in either the basement or garage. Price them ASAP, or list them on eBay, craigslist etc, immediately, do not put that off. Don't say your going to sell it and then just let it sit in a corner. Remember to be honest with yourself..if your not going to sell it, or have a garage sale, throw it out or donate it!!

Be tough on yourself when going through the items, when in doubt, throw it out!!! If you hesitate on where to put something, chances are it should not stay in the house and its just clutter that you can live without.

Be brutal. Don't keep something that you've been meaning to sew a button on or mend..be honest with yourself, your never going to do it, so get rid of it. Don't keep the broken toys, or the ten brushes in the bathroom. Really, how many do you use? Keep it real, stay honest with yourself and in no time you'll have bags of stuff leaving your house. Your going to feel so good! When we declutter our homes, we are decluttering our lives. And really, couldn't we all do with a little less of everything?

SWAG BUCKS~I LOVE IT!

Take a look over to the right..see the big Swag Bucks Box?? I joined this about a year ago and I can assure you that it is no scam!! I've recieved prizes like collector sports cards for my boys amazon gift cards, movie posters and more. All you do is download the toolbar, and search through them..simple!! Every once in awhile when you do a search you'll win swag bucks!! When you get enough swag bucks you hop over to the swag buck store and purchase items. There are also other ways to win swag bucks and prizes like sweepstakes, shopping, codes, etc. Take a look and if you decide to sign up, I'd love if you signed up through my widget. Who doesn't like "free" stuff? Especially in this economy!!!!