09 Sep Getting organized for bts
getting organized for back to school
is it just me or did this summer fly by? i feel like i say that every year, but this one in particular seemed to go by in a blink of an eye. so, when lauren due at news 12 NJ reached out to me to do a segment on getting organized for back to school, i was like “wait, what?!” i am NOT even ready!? how the heck did that happen?” it prompted me to take the time and tackle a few easy projects to make sure that i was ready and organized for the craziness that is about to ensue in my home in just a weeks time. here are a few things that you too can do to make sure you’re ready when your crew heads back!
create a family calendar
establish a family calendar. it gets busy when the kids go back to school with homework, sports + activities. making sure everyone knows what is going on, when is key. create a family calendar whether it’s old school paper, erasable or even digital. i love the skylight calendar and it is a lifeline for our family. it syncs with all our calendars (outlook, google, icalendar, etc.) so that all activities are streamlined into one place. kept in a prominent place in our home, there’s no excuse to not know where you need to be and when.
create a homework station
create a neat, clean + organized space to do homework. make sure all the essentials are there – computer charger, pencils, paper, school supplies. for a small investment you can set up a desk in your child’s room, or somewhere else in your home. this desk and chair from Ikea are affordable, easy to assemble and has both drawers and shelves for additional storage.
clean out closets + dressers
nothing is more fun, or exciting at back to school than back to school shopping. before shopping for a new wardrobe make sure you go through closets and dressers and try on clothing. see what fits, what doesn’t, and what didn’t make it through the summer. create a list of what you need in what sizes so it avoids buying unnecessary things. i also like to create a space in the closet for items that are too small to go to donation/hand me down, or items that are too big and need to grow into. i love these baskets that are in my son’s closet.
place for backpacks + jackets
create a space in the home for backpacks and jackets so they don’t end up by the front door. if you’re like me and you don’t have a mudroom – not a problem! you can create one on an open wall in your home. i added shiplap and hooks to a wall that wasn’t being used in my home and voila! instant storage!
catch all in kitchen for papers
having a system for when the kids come home from school is critical to keeping clutter to a minimum. have them empty their backpacks and review what’s inside. homework? papers to review? etc. keep only what you need and toss what you don’t. do this every day. i created an easy countertop filing system with this file sorter.
and if you missed it, no worries, here is link to news 12 news story so you can also check out all these solutions in person. here’s to an amazingly organized school year to you and your crew!
