A big part of organizing is learning to say ‘good-bye’ to those items we no longer use or want. “To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose.” -Marie Kondo So, what do we do with those things we are getting rid of? While some items need to be thrown away, many of our belongings can be given a new life through donation or recycling. There are a number of different organizations that accept donations. Some organizations will only take certain items, while others will take most anything. Some sites require that you drop off items yourself, while others will send a truck to your home for ‘pick ups’. Take the time to research some of the donation centers in your area to find out what items they will take and who will be benefitting from your donated items. A few donation sites we like to use include:
When books are no longer needed or used, the library is always a great place to start…. They accept books and magazines, as well as CDs, DVD’s and books on tape. For children’s books, consider donating them to local schools. Books are always needed at schools, both in the library and in the classroom. Baby, toddler, and young children’s toys are always needed at local church nurseries, daycares, and preschools. It’s easy to call the one nearest you to find out how to donate. Public schools usually have play areas for Kindergarten and 1st grade, and they could use gently used toy and craft items as well.
A few tips/tricks about donations:
For items that cannot be donated, be sure to check and see if they can be recycled before tossing them in the trash. You would be surprised at the number of items that can be recycled these days. Contact your local recycling center to see what specific items they do and do not take. While we realize it is often difficult to initially part with your items, you will be amazed at the amount of new found freedom and organization you can achieve by decluttering. Through this process, you can also help others by giving new life to your old things! Happy Organizing, Jen and Emily
0 Comments
Whether you are a family with 5 busy children or you are a household of 2 empty nesters, it can be difficult to keep up with the different schedules of each member of your family. I know there are days when I have trouble keeping up with just myself!!! Each member of the family may have their own app, day planner, or other organizational tool, but having a central calendar with everyone’s activities located in one place can help your family run more smoothly and efficiently. We all learn differently and have different preferences, so the trick is finding what type of central command calendar works best for you and your family. A few methods that have worked for us over the years include: The Dry Erase Calendar This is a great option because every member of your family can see it and know what is going to be happening over the coming days/weeks. Post the dry erase calendar in a common area of the home where everyone will see it. You can make changes to the calendar quickly and easily if your plans change, too! The Printed Calendar This is another excellent option that allows everyone in the family to see what is on the schedule – no electronic devices needed! Simply print the week(s) you want to display (print for free from your computer’s calendar), fill in all of your important dates and appointments, and hang it in a central location in your home. The weekly printed calendar can allow for a lot of extra information….color code your calendar by using a special color ink for each family member or write the meal plan for the week at the bottom of each day….and never have to answer the question “What’s for dinner?” again! Family Organizing Apps Apps require all family members to have their own phone in order to see the family calendar as a whole. It’s probably a perfect choice for a family with teenagers! There are many different apps out there that can work for the family that prefers to use an electronic form of schedule keeping. One that I like is called the Cozi Family Organizing App. The Cozi App has the following features: shared family calendar, color coded calendar, shopping lists, to-do lists, family journal, recipe box, and more if you opt for the paid version of the app. A perpetual calendar is a great idea for those special dates that happen every year (like birthdays and anniversaries). This is a calendar that is intended to be kept over time. Simply fill in the important events on the calendar and then refer to it year after year – adding new dates to it as you need to. You will amaze all of your friends and family by always remembering to say “Happy Birthday” and you don’t have to worry about transferring the dates from one calendar to the next year after year! Life gets busy and our brains can only hold so much information – right?!?! Hopefully one of these suggestions will help you and your family stay on top of everything!
~ Emily & Jen
You know the song from The Sound of Music – right… ”…brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things!”??? We know how much everyone loves “favorite things” and we wanted to share a few of our favorites with you!
We have several stores we love to shop at when hunting for that perfect organizing item, but one of our very favorite places is The Container Store (we could spend hours there) and these are 5 of our favorite products.
These items can serve multiple purposes in just about any room of your house….so don’t be afraid to get a little creative when getting organized!
These are just a few of the items we love and frequently use when organizing. Just remember, there is never a wrong way to use a product. If it works for you and helps keep your life more organized – you have found a winner!
Back to School time….when I was a kid, this was one of my favorite times of year. Call me crazy, but I loved all the freshly sharpened pencils, the untouched notebooks, and the brand new box of crayons just waiting for me to create my next masterpiece. Back to school time….as a mom….is not necessarily my favorite time of year any more. Why??? After a fun filled and relaxing summer, it seems that my kids have lost all understanding of a schedule or routine. The late nights and lazy mornings of summer are long gone, and that 6am (or sometimes even earlier) alarm is now our worst enemy! Instead of easing into the school year calm, cool, and collected, I end up always in a rush, nagging my children about EVERYTHING, and finding that I am never on time. But I’ve discovered that it doesn’t really have to be that difficult. They would probably never admit it, but my kids do much better and are much happier when they are following a routine or schedule. Whether we are 5 years old or 95 years old, we all function better when we know what is expected of us – right?!?!?! Having a simple checklist for the morning and evening routines has helped my family run more smoothly. Everyoneknows what is expected of them and instead of me telling and begging them to do something a million times, they look at their checklist and get things done. This has allowed our mornings to be more enjoyable with less stress and we actually get out the door on time (if not a few minutes early). At night, my kids are getting to bed on time and actually getting the sleep they need to start the next day refreshed and ready to go! The importance of sleep is not lost on me…that is the time when their little brains have time to rest and grow and it is SO very important. In order to promote optimal health, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following:
These simple checklists can really work for almost any age child. For the little ones who are not yet reading, picture charts work great. Check out this one you can find and print for free on the CDC website: (https://www.cdc.gov/parents/essentials/activities/activities-structure.html) For the older kids, a simple laminated list will do the trick. You can also attach a dry erase marker if you have a child that likes to check things off as they are completed. It is easy to add tasks to your list to tailor it and make it specific for your family, but some basic ones you might want to include are: Morning Routine:
Like any new habit, it will take a few days to get into the groove of your routine, but before you know it, your mornings and nights will be much more relaxing!
Hope you find your way to sweet dreams and peaceful mornings soon!! |