Take Control of the Clutter | Tidy Thursday

Welcome to Tidy Thursday! Here at VolunteerSpot, we’re committed to simplifying the busy lives of parents, teachers and active volunteers. Along that theme, we’re pleased to support your personal efforts in getting organized and gaining quality time and present guest organization expert April Welch, the Mental Clutter Coach! Today, April brings all of her advice from the past Tidy Thursdays together and empowers us to take control of the clutter in our lives. Thanks, April!

 

And special thanks to our Tidy Thursdays sponsor:

 

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Overwhelming Schedules

By April Welch

 

It’s about time to start winding down the Summer Campaign for Tidy Thursdays.

Over the summer we’ve covered:

1. Avoiding Summer Brain Drain
2. Cutting through Clutter After School & Major Projects
3. Decluttering Kids Artwork ~ without tears 
4. Family Vacation Planning
5. Organizing & De-Cluttering Your Car
6. Battling Summer Clutter
7. Age Appropriate Chores
8. Laundry
9. Getting Organized After Vacation
10. Back-to-School Shopping
11. Wading through Piles of Paperwork 
12. Lunch Time

 

And now, it’s time to bring all those things you’ve learned together. Yes, you’re ready to explore the concept of a "Communication Zone" for your life.

I’m sure you can imagine {based on the title} this is where the “grand central” of your life exists.

Where to begin:

Location, location, location.

All of the "Communication Zones" that I’ve helped clients create tend to have one thing in common. They’re located in the spot where everyone hangs out the most. Sometimes this is in the kitchen {break room} or a family room and sometimes it has been in a bonus room {storage area}.

Don’t be surprised, when you look around for your spot, if you find that your Zone is in need of some serious TLC. Actually, that probably means you’ve hit the jackpot!

Next:

Gather the supplies.

Anything that relates to the communication of your family {or group/team}.

1. You’re looking for the:

• Calendar
• Black Hole Binder
• Mail
• Office and/or art supplies
• Phone
• {you get the idea}

Consider the system.

Are you

• a piler?

• think vertical solutions here {like the in-boxes in the picture}

• a filer?

• you’ll be safe with the document boxes {on the top shelf in the picture}

• an ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’?

• take note of the clear bins used for supplies {I can see it, but it has a home that’s put away}

Putting it all away:

Sit {or stand} where everything will eventually belong.

• Now imagine the chaos that could ensue

1. the kids have arrived home {or the volunteer teams have all checked in at the end of the day at the same time}
2. the phone is ringing
3. there is someone at the door
4. EVERYONE is cranky and has somewhere to be {5 minutes ago}
5. Oh, and did I mention? You’re in charge of them all!

• Now answer this question:

How can everything be at the easiest spot possible?

• Try to avoid burying the phone base {maybe hang it on the wall}
• Utilize containers for a multitude of solutions

{note the tray, this is to give a visual boundary for where those office supplies belong}

• Store items that are needed less often in harder to access spots
• labeling clear bins helps you clarify a “home” and have a sense of direction when you’re trying to relocate items
• Using colors on the calendar {assigned by family member or event} helps you go straight to what you’re looking for

{the post it notes in the picture were events that might be happening}

Finally

Use the Zone!

This is where you can conquer the world eh-hem, I mean your life.

You know you’ve set up your area effectively the first time someone asks a question & you are able to turn to what’s needed & give them an answer right away.

So, how does this help with overwhelming schedules?

 
Well, take a look at the picture. When I propose the following what you see:

The doctor’s office has just called & they need to push Susie’s appointment for next Tuesday to Wednesday.

1. Would you be able to check the family calendar? {on the wall}
2. Would you have writing utensils to make the change with? {in the cup on the center of the desk}
3. Would you then be able to grab the Ballet instructors phone number to let her know Susie may be a few minutes late to her lessons if the appointment runs over? {the black hole binder next to the drawer organizer on the middle shelf}
4. And finally, would Susie know about this change? {when either of you look at the calendar}

In the course of that phone call so many questions can be answered and a task can be completed. How long does it usually take you to deal with a re-scheduled appointment? And how does that affect the chain of events surrounding such a disruption?

These are what I call “life’s little hiccups”. We all have them. You can’t avoid them. So, we may as well try & prepare for them by building a Command Central to act as a support system when we just don’t have the time for one.more.thing!

Remember, every system needs maintenance. So if things begin to get overwhelming be sure to take a few minutes & regroup the area.

I would love to hear about the efforts you’re making to improve your hectic schedules and the systems you’ve used {or tried} to accomplish that!

Next week we dive into “How to use the DreamSakes service” from receiving your empty box to sending those treasures in & what kind of clutter free gift ideas you can create for loved ones this holiday season.

Keepin’ it Tidy,

April

 

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April Welch, CPO© is a Certified Professional Organizer residing in Central Washington State with her husband & two children and has been instinctively organizing most of her adult life.

While her philosophies are centered on how individuals are ‘wired’ she believes in providing a fun and educational environment with simple solutions to all organizing dilemmas. She offers live workshops, virtual organizing, tele-classes, habit assessments, public speaking, a radio show online and most recently Mental Clutter Coaching. April is the Franklin Covey® Family Organizing Guru & the Spokesperson for ListPlanIt.com April can be found on: Facebook and Twitter 

First Day of School Traditions | Views on Back-to-School

Thank you for tuning in to Views on Back-to-School! VolunteerSpot is honored to be featuring guest posts from our favorite bloggers about what back-to-school means for them. Please welcome Jill Berry from Musings from Me, where she shares the trials and tribulations of raising a kid, pre-teen and teen all at once. Today, Jill is sharing some of her family's traditions for that exciting first day of "Big Kid School." Thanks Jill!

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Back-to-School Traditions

By Jill Berry

I never had any traditions when my children started preschool. I was too busy dealing with cranky babies, non-napping toddlers, and a busy work schedule to do more than give my children a hug on the first day of school. No notes in the lunchbox. No photos. Nothing.

As I left my child at preschool dropoff, I looked forward to a few hours of peace even if I still had a younger child with me. One less child is still one less child to lug around to errands, right?

 My teen is the oldest child in our family and the oldest grandchild on both sides. All traditions begin with her. As I prepared her for her first experience with Big Kid School – as we called it when she was in preschool – we talked about her new teacher, her new friends, and the school bus ride.

The bus ride was what she most looked forward to. She was a tiny 5-year-old who hated using a car seat. (At 5 she weighed enough to still use a toddler car seat.) We moved her to a booster seat after listening to her strident protests. Riding on a school bus without wearing a seat belt was her dream ride.

On the first day of school, we waited at the end of the driveway for the school bus. My husband went to work late. I stood with our almost 3-year-old for what seemed like hours waiting for the bus. Our 5-year-old drooped a little under the weight of her backpack, but she was beaming. Eager to get on the school bus!

The bus rumbled down our court. Our 5-year-old climbed the huge steps of the bus with her school bus nametag pinned proudly to her shirt.  The nametag listed her bus number. She never looked back. I snapped a quick photo of her getting on the bus and that was it. I was shocked and discombobulated as the bus drove away. We waved frantically at her. She never waved back at us. I knew she would be fine at school. 

With our first born heading to her first day of school, we began our first tradition…taking photographs.

• Take photos of your child on the first day of school inside the house or outside the house.

• Take a photo of your child with her siblings.

• Take a photo of your child next to the mailbox, or an adult, or in front of the front door for a point of reference to show how tall your child was.

• If you can, drive to the elementary school to take a photo of your child getting off the school bus. I only did this on each child’s first day of school.

My preschooler and I spent the day waiting for the kindergartener to arrive home on the bus. It was all she could talk about.

As the bus pulled in to the neighborhood we all stood at the end of the driveway holding a bunch of balloons each. My sister and her girls came with a bunch of balloons. My parents were there with balloons. My preschooler held balloons, too.

You should have seen the faces of the kids on the school bus as my daughter was given so many bunches of balloons. She was thrilled. She bounced in to the house. She weighed so little at the time that I am surprised that she didn’t float.

Our second tradition…celebrating the end of the first day of school.

•  We give balloons to our kids at the end of the first day of kindergarten. We also gave balloons to my nieces when both came home on their first day of Big Kid School.

• Take a photograph of the bus coming down the road or of your child getting off the bus.

• Invite the grandparents…aunts and uncles…to be there when your child gets off the bus. My husband -- a teacher -- was not able to be there as he was teaching a class. We took many photos for him to see.

• Go out for ice cream after school.

Our third tradition…set the after-school schedule from day one.

• We do homework on the first day of school whether the teacher assigns it or not.

• I will complete the emergency cards and other school paperwork while the children read a book, complete the summer workbook, etc.

At some point, I will get up-to-date with my scrapbook for my children. I am looking forward to going through the photos from the first day of school.

What are your traditions for the first day of school?

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When not forcing them to smile for photographs, Jill blogs about her children at Musings from Me.