Get Those Toys Organized in 5 Steps

For more Work for Me ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.

Toys! Toys! And more toys! Many of my clients, readers and friends frequently ask me about organizing toys. Don't worry it can be done. I've used my five-step STUFF System™ to break it down into doable steps.

Sort
Gather all the toys and start making piles by sorting like items together. This step may take awhile, especially if you have lots of smaller pieces. This is a great time to get the kids involved as sorting is the first basic skill you can teach your child about organizing.

Take Out
Now it's time to make some decisions. What toys can go? Have a box or space for those toys which you can donate, sell or give away. Don't forget to have the garbage and recycling containers near by.

You may or may not want your children involved in this step. It is a perfect time to teach them that it is OK not to keep everything. On the other hand, it might be a battle of tears, pleading and stress for all. Use your judgment; you know the personalities, tendencies and age of your children the best.

Utilize the Space and Systems
Where will everything live? Consider the space from your child's point of view. Keep their favorite toys in easy-to-reach and convenient places. You'll thank yourself later, as this makes clean-up time less challenging.

Think about zones. Keep toys together that go together. For example, a building zone, a reading zone, an arts and crafts zone, etc. This is also the time to determine if shelves, hooks, or other space-utilizing hardware should be added. Perhaps there are such items elsewhere in your home that are not fully utilized.

Fill Containers
At this point you have identified the keepers and have a good idea of how you want to use your space. You can now think about containers. Containers can be boxes, bins, bags, baskets, etc.

Not sure how many and what sizes you'll need? No problem! Just take a look at those piles from sorting and you'll get a good idea of what you'll need. Try to keep like items together and don't forget to take your space and any shelves into consideration. Take some measurements and make notes to aid you if need to make a trip to the store.

Open containers work really well for most children, however if you need to stack them to make the most of the space, go with the lid. Avoid big toy boxes that hold many different items because EVERYTHING tends to get pulled out during play.

Labels are essential! I like to use pictures and words for younger children. You could even label the spots on shelves. Labels make retrieving and returning items easier for children and adults.

Follow-up
Keeping those toys organized is almost always an on-going process for parents and kids. Try to maintain the space on a continuous basis with regular clean-up times and frequent purging (before birthdays and Christmas is a great time). Your family can start a new habit of sharing and trading toys with other families. Put the focus on making room for new toys rather than eliminating their stuff.

On a final note, children typically play with 20% of their toys 80% of the time. Too many toys can make play time difficult and clean-up time overwhelming. You may want to try rotating toys and books; store one-third to one-half of the toys and books and switch them about every three to four months. This helps to keep kids interested and your living space less congested. Remember, the more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to take care of! Play time should be enjoyable not a stressful experience for child and parent.

Back-to-School: 8 Tips to Help You Plan Ahead and Reduce the Morning Stress

I know this post is a bit of repeat but it's back just in time for Back-to-School! For more Work for Me ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.

Think for a moment how your family starts off the day. How would you describe the mornings in your household once school starts? Do they tend to be calm and peaceful or rushed and stressful -or, somewhere in the middle?

I found that planning ahead really helps to curb the morning madness. This month, I'm sharing 8 quick ideas to help make your mornings less of production for you and your family.

1. Give yourself time to get up and ready to go before the children need to be up, even if it's just 15-30 minutes before the kids. I find that when I do this, I am more relaxed and able to focus on helping my children. The day is more likely to start off with conversation rather than prodding and nagging. I also feel better about myself. When I feel good about myself, it has such a positive impact on my day and those around me.

2. Make sure the kids have adequate time to get ready for school without being rushed.

3. Empty the backpacks after school, not in the morning to avoid any last minute surprises.

The Night Before
4. Have your children pick out their clothes for the next day. Make this part of their bedtime routine.

5. Make sure the backpacks and school supplies are ready to go near the door. Maybe even the shoes and jackets, too. In the winter I get all the snow gear get out and ready to go as well. What about the lunches? Can they be made ahead of time? Does money need to go to school to pay for hot lunch?

6. Determine the breakfast menu and set the bowls and cereal out after dinner. A healthy breakfast really adds a positive start to your child's day.

7. Develop a bedtime routine that works for your family and stick to it the best you can.

8. Double check your calendar, including the car pool schedule and after school activities. Think about what tasks or errands you want to accomplish the next day. I'm not talking about a major to-do list but maybe 2-4 items, or maybe just one part of a major project.

Don't Forget!
Another part of planning ahead is getting the school activities on your calendar or planner. This includes the school calendar for the year, any sports, activities, scouting schedules, etc. You can use a wall calendar, a personal planner or computer, but try to limit it to one.

I like to use Outlook on my computer. At the start of each week I print the 7-day view and post it on my refrigerator so everyone in the family knows what's going on. I tend to color-code activities by type of event (personal or child-related). You might want to color-code by member of the household.

Do you want ideas for organizing, displaying and maintaining your child's school papers and artwork? When you order my Tickler File System , I'll also send you my popular e-book, Maintaining Childhood Treasures: A Mom's Guide to Organizing School Papers and Artwork!

Quick Organizing: The Kids' Dresser Drawers

I know it's not always easy for busy moms to find large chunks of time to devote to major organizing projects. When time is tight, I like the idea of tackling mini organizing projects projects around the house. Last fall I posted 8 Quick Organizing Ideas and over the next few weeks, I'll share even more ideas.

Project #1: The Kids' Dresser Drawers
Get the kids' clothes in order. Areas that are used frequently will require more attention so I tend to straighten up my kids' drawers about once a month and it doesn't take much time. Another good time to do this is during the change of seasons.

This is a great project to do with your children. Show them how to sort the clothing. Let them help fold their clothes ---- don't expect perfection.

As you are sorting, take out the stuff the doesn't fit or isn't worn. Have the kids try items on questionable items. Have a donation box close by.

Eventually, older children can tackle this project on their own. Getting the kids involved in a small organizing task like this can help teach them the skill of organizing and that it's okay to let go of things. Talk about how having an organized dresser makes getting ready in the morning easier and finding that favorite outfit is a snap.

For more Works for Me ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.

Organizing a Kid's Closet: The First Steps

School Papers Piling Up? 3 Steps to Get Them Organized Today

Now that school is in full swing, are the papers starting to pile up? Use my 3-T Plan™ to sort your mail daily and to get through those growing piles on your kitchen counters, table, and mudroom.

1. Take Out -Get rid of (recycle, shred, throw) the stuff right away that you don't need! That includes junk mail, fliers, the envelopes the stuff comes in, expired coupons and anything else that you don't need in your home sucking up your energy.
2. Take Action - If something requires action from you, pick a time and/or a date that you can do it. Put it on your calendar like you are scheduling an appointment with yourself.
3. Take Back or To File - Got stuff that you have to file or take to another part of the house? Take it there once you are done sorting through the pile.

For more Works-For-Me Ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.

Countdown to Halloween

There are 16 days left until Halloween. Are you prepared? Here are some things to think about to get ready for the spooky day.

Decorations
Gather all your Halloween or Fall decorations. Sort through the items and get rid of any broken pieces. If there are decorations that you aren’t displaying, pass them on or donate them. Now is a great time to weed through your decorations.

It’s always a good idea to do some de-cluttering before putting up the decorations. Here are some past De-cluttering Ideas.

When the season has passed, store your Halloween and Fall decorations together in labeled bins. You might also have your Thanksgiving decorations in the same containers so you can pull those out as you are putting your Halloween themed décor away.

Costumes
Has everyone in your family chosen their costume? Are there items that need to be made or purchased? If you are making the costumes, be sure to give yourself enough time so that you are not sewing on tails as your little creatures are running out the door. You might even want to put a reminder on your calendar for next year to allow time for costume making so you don’t feel rushed.

Treats
What about treats? Will you be handing out candy to the neighborhood goblins? What about small prizes in place of sweet treats, such as pencils, crayon, plastic bugs, etc? Are you contributing to your children’s classroom party? Will you be hosting a scary gathering of your own? What ghostly goodies do you plan to make?

Shopping
If a shopping trip is in order, be sure to make a master list. Make note of the items and the store where they might be located. If your family really loves to celebrate Halloween, it’s also not a bad idea to consider making a budget. It’s so easy to get carried away at the store when you see all the fun stuff but the extras add up fast. Here’s a Simple Halloween Shopping List to help keep it all organized.

For more Works For Me Ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.

What Cleaning Routine Works for You?

Cleaning the house. It's one of those jobs that is never done. NEVER. Just like laundry.

Are you looking for some ideas and tools to help you stay on top of this never-ending chore? There are so many different approaches to take. What will work for you will depend on your preferences, schedule and family.

Here some ideas that come to mind:

1. Routines: Create a schedule to tackle the various house cleaning chores. Do a little each day or all of it in one marathon cleaning spree.


2. Daily Maintenance: The clean-as-you go approach.


3. Get the Family Involved: Each member of the household is responsible for specific tasks. Here's a sample of a Simple Chore Chart for Kids - It's what I'm currently using.


4. Make it "Fun!": Here's an idea my mom used when I was growing up. She would make a list of chores, cut the list into strips of papers and each family member randomly picked a task from a hat. Of course my brother and I didn't think it was that fun. Put on some fun music and have a reward for the family when everything is done.

The theme for today over at We Are THAT Family is Cleaning Tips. Check out the other great ideas today!

Time to Get Out the Hats and Mittens

Fall weather is officially here in Wisconsin! I've already sent my kids to school with hats! One of my readers sent me a great reminder to share with everyone.

Becky writes,

With the colder weather approaching we gathered the family last night, pulled out the winter coat, snow pants, hat and mitten bin and went through the whole thing. We basically did an inventory of what fits, what doesn't, and who needs what.

It seems if you want until the snow flies to buy snow pants etc, the stores are already picked over by then. I like to give my business to the local gently-used kids consignment stores, but they are even already starting to get picked over.

Its just a good idea to do your winter-wear inventory NOW, not wait until you are in panic mode!

Thanks Becky! Becky has a couple sites to check out.
Travel Activity Bags For Kids
Lake Area Moms Squad