Today we’re talking about how to avoid overwhelm (and ultimate panic) as we enter the holiday season.

Tip #1: Dump All the Ideas
That’s right. Dump them. Onto paper or online, but get them out of your head. All those spinning plates and random thoughts only contribute to a mounting sense of anxiety. Let a web of written (or typed) thoughts manage those instead. While brain dumps come in a variety of forms, you should know that whatever works for you is your best option. For the creative type, an old fashion brainstorm or idea web will work perfectly. Start with your event circled in the center and simply jot down all the random things associated with it. Don’t worry about order or priority, simply get them out. If you want to amp up your game, jot the ideas down on Post-Its so that you can prioritize and organize later. Type A folks would do well with lists that can later be numbered and rewritten. Trello is an excellent (and FREE) online app that helps you manage all those ideas as they process from to-do into to-done!

Tip #2: Break It Down
Once you begin to free up some RAM within your brain, you’ll realize that each idea you jotted down requires multiple actions. Now that you’ve got the big ideas out, go ahead and task analyze each. If your event is Thanksgiving, one of those big ideas will be the menu. Begin to break that down. What’s your main course? How many sides, appetizers, and desserts do you want to serve? What will those be? How long will those take? Who will be responsible for each? Are there food allergies/aversions to consider for your guests? Breaking down your tasks into manageable, achievable chunks will help you to feel successful before you’ve even taken your first action step. You’ll also REALLY enjoy crossing all those things off!

Tip #3: Do What You Can, NOW!
There will be items on your brain dump that can be taken care of within the next week even though we’re WEEKS away from any big holiday parties. Send an email to guests asking about allergies/aversions. Shop for the dry goods and pantry supplies you’ll need on-hand once the cooking is underway. (I hate getting caught without enough butter….that just ruins everything! So stock up now…before everyone else is shopping for the same thing!)

Tip #4: Work Backwards
Review the tasks that need to be completed closer to the event. How long will each task take? Assign a minute value to each. If we’re talking about when to put the turkey in the oven for Thanksgiving, we need to know how long it will cook. Once you’ve given it a time estimate, start with your intended time to SERVE the food and start working backwards. If the turkey needs to be on the table at 4pm, it needs to be out of the oven by 3:30pm, which means it needs to be in the oven at 10am, and that you’ll need to preheat the oven at 9:45am. You’ll also need to start stuffing that bird by 9:15am so that it goes in on time. Working backwards helps you to know when you MUST begin. Late starts and delays cause some of the most undue stress! Don’t get caught in that trap.

Tip #5: Make Time for the Unexpected
Let’s go back to the bird in the oven illustration. There will be certain non-negotiables; things you can’t fudge on without throwing off the entire schedule. That’s inevitable in any event. However, it’s good to think through those things….like what if someone didn’t start thawing the bird 2 days prior? What if the store is out of lemons and you need a different stuffing or rub recipe? Creating space for mistakes, interruptions, or oven fires will enable you to feel calm even when crazy comes knocking at the door.

As your events approach, take a deep breath and get organized so that you’ll look and feel like a pro on the big day!

This post originally appeared on The Good Life.

Can you believe that fall is right around the corner?! Who is excited for crisp winds and scarves?!

Right now is the perfect time to do a quick sweep for these 10 things:

1. Tattered Towels
The sun, salt, and chemicals can be tough on our beach towels. Grab those that have seen better days and repurpose them as emergency spill catchers (*two is more than enough), donations for pet shelters, or simply toss them into the trash. The end of summer clearance is bound to have some soft, fluffy beach towels to replenish your stash at the perfect price.

2. Faulty Flip Flops
You know which ones I’m talking out. The ones that are loose, squished, and seriously uncomfortable. Old Navy will have a new pair for less than $3 next spring.

3. Opened Snacks
If you’ve got kids, and it’s summer time, you’ve definitely got a problem with opened packaging. The lazy days of summer encourage noshing….and on a variety of foods. Take a pass through your pantry and locate all opened chip and snack bags. If they’ve gone stale, toss them. If they’re still in good shape, reseal them or parse them into individual sandwich bags to speed up lunch prep this fall.

4. Mismatched Tupperware
Speaking of lunches, you’re going to start packing those again. Set aside ten minutes to match up all the lids and bins so that you can toss any orphans. Plastic containers are fairly inexpensive, so don’t fret if you find yourself tossing 16 lids wondering where their matches went. You’ll be glad you don’t have to deal with leaning tower of lids come November!

5. Travel Trinkets
What brochures, maps, or other tchotchkes did you pick up during your summer travels? Are you finished with these? If their purpose has past, it’s time to recycle those papers and donate those random magnets your kids just HAD TO HAVE.

6. Old Toiletries
You pulled them out of your travel bags and passed over them while on vacation. Now it’s time to toss those travel sized soaps you never use and expired sunscreens. Grab the crunchy tube of toothpaste and the weird scented shampoo too. Don’t forget the warped cotton balls and funky tissues you shoved down into the makeup bag.

7. Dried-Out Art Supplies
Tis the season for school supplies. Why not let go of the orange, yellow, and green markers that remain from that original 10 pack and replace it with a new, fresh set? You know you’re going to need those colors for homework during the school year so go ahead and toss the old and worn crayons and paints too.

8. Stinky Lunch Boxes
Hopefully you’ve checked the lunchboxes from last June. If not, you might just want to toss those fully zipped! Pick up a new lunch box to replace the broken, tattered, or just plain stinky one from last year. If you’re up for it, try tossing the stinky one in the washer to remove the smell and stains. It just might save you a few bucks!

9. Unloved Apparel
Remember this spring when you bought those adorable shorts? You had such great intentions, but in the end, you never wore them outside of your bedroom because you preferred another style. Donate those fancy pants to your local Goodwill and bless someone with a brand new pair for a fraction of the price. Rummage around the rest of your closet and drawers to see if there are any other gently worn pieces that you can take with you.

10. Forgotten Books + Magazines
How’s that stack of reading material you piled up to take to the pool? Did you chisel away at the tower during that 10 hour drive? Take a good look at what remains. Is it a book you’re still interested in reading? Has the paper passed its prime? Return or recycle items that you just won’t get to now that fall is approaching.

Tell us what you tossed in the comments below!

This post originally appeared on The Good Life.

The temps are FINALLY on the rise, flu season is making an exit, and the days are getting longer.
​
As happens every year, you’re on the brink of full scale spring cleaning. While some are thinking about the trash bags they’ll need, you’re seeing dollar signs. In fact, you’re one of half a million Americans preparing for a yard sale this spring (source). Follow these top five tips to ensure your sale will be a success!

Be Picky
Don’t hold onto EVERYTHING just in case it could generate some cash. Opened beauty products, old exercise equipment, and fabric do not sell well. In fact, you’re better off donating them and getting a tax deductible receipt. Gently used clothing (including a few pairs of shoes and handbags), tools, and appliances traditionally sell well! Since no one likes feeling overwhelmed, curate a sense of calm, happiness, and a dash of demand by limiting your yard sale to your best items. Showcase them with enough space in between so that they’re easily viewed and watch the buyers flock! Tables that are piled high with dozens of similar items just feel like drudgery. Only a select few, dedicated souls would take the time necessary to find that needle in a haystack. Make your sale for the masses, not for the select few.

Price to Sell (as You Go)
As you begin collecting items for your big sale, keep a Sharpie and pad of round pricing stickers with you. By pricing your items as you pull them, you’ll save yourself a ton of prep time the week before your sale. If you’re unsure of how much to price an item, pretend the item doesn’t belong to you and ask yourself how much you’d pay for it on someone else’s front lawn? It comes with NO return policy or warranty. You don’t know how much it’s been used, or what kind of life it has left. Even if you have a general idea of what the retail price was, the item is at most worth just 30% of that original value. That should help you aim for rock bottom prices.

The key to making a profit with your yard sale is quantity of sales over price per sale. While you might have a few items in the $5 or $10 range, realize that most yard sale hunters are trained to find bargains. Overpricing, or not pricing your items at all, can lead to immediate disinterest.

Sort Your Items
Create a storage area in your attic, spare bedroom, basement, garage, or shed to stash your items as you find them in your home. Organizing them by category (and pricing them as you go) will save you loads of time when you set up. (And since everyone is short on time, this step is a MUST.) Keep furniture items with wall décor; kitchen items with entertaining pieces; and technology with other technology.

Set the Scene
There is nothing more exciting to me than a well organized sale! When ALL the kitchen gadgets are in one place and clothing in another, I’m able to find the items I’m looking for in record time. Subconsciously, I’m also willing to pay a higher price for items that are easy for me to find. Use the categories you created for your storage area to neatly define your front lawn with bright signs. Easy-to-walk-through aisles with enough space will entice your shoppers to keep shopping. Finally, make sure your “checkout” area is easily accessible, covered from the sun (or rain), and ready for a line. Selling extra items like coffee and cupcakes is a great way to draw a crowd, and again, keep your shoppers looking for just a little longer.

Ensure Easy Tear Down
Decide NOW where the remaining items will go once your sale is over. Plan to load them directly into your car for drop-off to your nearest Goodwill, or create a zone for later pick-up by another agency.


What are your tried and true tips for a successful yard sale? Share your experiences in the comments below!

This post originally appeared on The Good Life.

Over-the-door, clear shoe organizers have about 24 pockets. Their intended purpose is to corral pairs of shoes so that you’re not looking all over the house or under the laundry for that one mischievous flip-flop. But these organizers can do so much more! Below are my top ten uses for these inexpensive, lightweight, slim-line storage solutions.​

Number 10: Direct Sales Stock + Marketing
Direct sales companies are famous for samples and branded marketing. They send no shortage of tiny things to pass on to potential customers. Your business cards, postcards, brochures, samples, and stock must be organized so that you’re always aware of your inventory levels and have the ability to quickly assemble a hostess gift at a moment’s notice.

Number 9: Action Figure + Barbie Heaven
Some toys are just a pain to keep track of…..but you need to in order to avoid the classic kid-meltdown. If your kiddos are like mine, the Barbies, action figures, and all their accessories easily get mixed in with Legos and Lincoln Logs during epic story tales. In order to set the scene for tomorrow’s imaginative play, return the action figures and their accessories to a central location. Clear shoe organizers allow kids to spot the items they need and easily access them. They also help with quick cleanup so that Malibu Barbie’s sunglasses don’t go missing!

Number 8: Cleaning Supplies
Store your supplies in easy to see sections on your shoe organizer. Keep dusting products next to the dusting rags or Swiffer refills. Keep your laundry stain remover near your dryer sheets. You’ll always know what you have and what you need to buy more of.
​
Number 7: Make-Up + Toiletries
The back of your bathroom door is a great place to keep stock of all the make-up and toiletry items you use on a daily basis. Never lose track of your eyeliner, tweezers, or deodorant again! This space is ideal for toothpaste, cleansers, moisturizers, foundation, eye shadows, lipsticks, glosses, as well as hair brushes, gel, shears (for that quick trim), and curling irons (….but wait until those are cool before putting them back).

Number 6: Sewing + Crafts
Keeping track of your sewing notions is infinitely easier when they each have their own home. Threads, needles, thimbles, and buttons can find their permanent place in a shoe organizer. Stash your different types of glues and craft scissors in the next set of pockets. Make room for scrap fabrics, paint brushes, paint bottles, crayons, colored pencils, and scrap paper too.

Number 5: Seasonal Accessories
Got a coat closet? Keep your seasonal accessories just as easy to grab in a shoe organizer. Assign one row to each person in the home. Keep track of your sunglasses, hats, chapstick, gloves, scarves, sunscreen, and bug spray to avoid the last minute run-around. Pet items like leashes and waste bags are a great addition.

Number 4: Snacks + Lunch Items
Can we all agree that shaving a few minutes off lunch prep is genius?! Particularly if you wait until the morning-of to pack! Juice boxes, granola bars, chips you portioned out into Ziploc baggies, fruit cups, plasticware, and napkins can all be stored on the inside of your pantry door, next to your hanging lunch boxes.

Number 3: Tools + Utility Items
No room for pegboard? Try a shoe organizer to keep your batteries, lightbulbs, screw drivers, hammers, and measuring tools sorted for easy access. You’ll thank yourself every time you reach for a AA battery!

Number 2: Gardening Supplies
From seed packets to gloves, these shoe organizers can save your sanity when you need to put a few plants in the ground. Hang the organizer on a shed door OR mount it to an interior wall. Those 24 pockets will easy accommodate your hand shovels, trowels, rulers (to measure depth), twine (to tie up those tomatoes), bag buckets (to transport extra dirt), seed markers, trimming shears, nailbrush, and kneepads.

Number 1: Infant Needs
If you’ve ever had a newborn in the house, you know you’ve got a lot of things that you need quick access to in order to preserve your sanity. Pacifiers, bibs, hair bows, blankets, onesies, diapers, ointments, creams, thermometers, medications, ball syringes, and socks are just a few of them!
As a bonus, clear shoe organizers are the go-to storage solution for individuals with ADD/ADHD. These organizers keep everything front and center so that no items are out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Take your organization to the next level by labeling each pocket so that it’s easy to remember where to return things when you’re done with them!

How do you use shoe organizers in your home? Comment below!


This post originally appeared on The Good Life. 

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase one I'll receive a small profit with no additional cost to you whatsoever. Thanks for supporting our site. Click here to learn more.

​Struggling to get your kids to actually do their chores? Welcome to parenthood. If chore-charts and stickers aren’t working for you, you’ll want to read this.

Recently, our oldest daughter participated in Boosterthon to earn money for her school. I’ve never seen her get so excited to support a cause she didn’t immediately benefit from, but she was all-in! So I asked myself, “Why?” Why would this five year old want so desperately to earn pledges that paid based on the number of laps she’d run around a track?

3 Things

1. The goal was well-defined.
2. The rewards were motivating to her.
3. Both the goal and the rewards were attainable.

In other words, she wanted to succeed because success made sense.
​
Now, what if I told you that someone took those same principles and turned them into an app to help children and teens achieve their goals at home? It’s true. FamilyTech.com has created a simple, fun app to help your children, teens, and even your spouse complete all those boring, but necessary, tasks.
​ 

Creating your account, adding the kids, and assigning chores couldn’t be easier. The system asks for a birthdate and will suggest age appropriate chores to help you get started. You can also enter your own chores as well as attach a photo to each chore for children who can’t yet read.

A well-defined goal will help your child understand what is expected of them. Keep it simple like “put napkins on the table” or “make your bed.” Each chore is given a completion date, so that your children know how soon they’ll need to do the task. You can choose to “auto approve” the chore, which means that as soon as the chore is completed, the reward is issued. Or you can select to manually approve the each chore. In the case of the latter, you’ll receive a notification from Mother Shp (no “i”) that the chore has been finished, but you’ll need to click “approve” on your end before the reward is released on the child or teen interface. Although I like saving time anywhere I can, checking up on a child’s performance demonstrates support, concern, and love. Our kids better understand our expectations when we have the time to create a healthy dialogue about how a chore should be done and how it actually completed. Talking with and encouraging kids is well worth the added minutes of manual approval.

The final feature (and probably the most exciting for your little ones) is the reward assignment. Each chore you create will reward your child with the amount of points determined by you. The points contribute toward a larger prize that will be “unlocked” once they have enough points. One of our clients is rewarding her son with a date to the frozen yogurt shop! Teens might earn a bump in allowance or extra privileges.
​
Your children can monitor their progress on the kid-side of the app. Login is ridiculously simple (for little people in particular), and ages 3-12 will be able to play games, watch videos, and reveal different monsters as they earn points. The app has the feel of FunBrain.com, but the power of Boosterthon in your living room! 
​

You won’t find videos, games, or fun monsters on teen version Landra, but you will find a clean interface that teaches your teen the economy of housekeeping in a simple “Do vs Get” mode. Landra is FREE and gives your teen the opportunity to view the chores you’ve assigned from Mother Shp as well as add their own. Under the “Get” tab, your teen can request specific rewards like coffee, movie night out, screen time, or suggest their own. The visual support is just as strong in Landra as in Chore Monster, so it’s great for teens with low reading levels too. 

And when you didn’t think it could get any better….Family Tech created Honey Do. Keeping up a home is often a shared task. This app allows you to communicate in a no-nag fashion about those home projects. While I’m not super motivated by points or the idea of forcing my better half to work around the house, the concept is novel. Create rewards for your significant other based on their love language or bucket-lists.
​
In conclusion, I’ve been all-around impressed by these FREE apps and our girls (ages 5 and 3) are LOVING it. If you’re struggling to get your child or teen to do their chores, it’s worth checking out. Leave a comment below about your experience.

This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to learn more.

It’s that time of year. While some of us love shopping for them, others simply cringe. The sheer amount of items required for the beginning of the year drives some parents even to the point of insanity. Finding the exact set of Crayola markers seems impossible, and of course, you would need the 8 pack for one child and the 10 pack for the other. On July 31st, grab a banker's box (or large Amazon box) for each child to contain all those required back-to-school items. (If your kids are little, I'd keep these boxes up high or behind locked doors so the crayons and new lunch box don't disappear before mid August.) Toss your school supply list into the box so you'll know where to find it when you're ready to brave the crowds (or order online in the comfort of your PJs). If your kiddos require uniforms or signed paperwork, store it in the box too. The box will be emptied once the year begins, so this is simply your way of momentarily containing the chaos.
​  

The amount of paper coming through your front door is about to drastically multiply in the next thirty days, but we’re going to help you manage that hot mess. Create a landing zone near the door you most frequently use when entering and exiting your home. Chances are, you've already got one....it's that spot where you drop your purse, your kids kick off their shoes, and you're constantly having to pick up jackets. You know what I'm talking about, right? After adding some hooks for your purse and jackets, and maybe a shoe rack, consider adding a basket where ALL papers (except homework) can be emptied. If your kids are older than 10, create divisions with hanging file folders OR use multiple baskets to sort the papers. Unless your child's teacher has specified at the beginning of the year meeting that you need to initial/sign paperwork or planners coming home every night, you can get away with going through this basket once or twice a week. (It's true. I used to be a teacher before I had kids.....almost ALL of those papers can wait a few days.)
​
When you go through the basket (on Tuesdays or Thursdays), you're going to sort it into three piles: things to read or review, things to sign and return, and graded art or school work. The things you'll need to read and review might be that month's lunch menu or the sport's schedule. Keep these items in a folder, binder, or command center area where you can readily access them if you need them. The things that need to be signed and returned, need to be signed and returned. Finally that art and school work. Notice I said graded. (The homework should be completed daily and then returned to the teacher so it can come back home a second time with a big fat A+.) Your child's teacher sends this stuff home because they don't have space to display it all. Make sure your kid(s) understand that the same principle rings true in your home: your walls can only hold so much. Help your child select one or two items a week to save as examples of the work that gives them the greatest sense of pride or accomplishment. In full disclosure, I don't do this part each week; I wait until the end of the month and still recommend that we only choose one or two items to keep. Store these items in memory boxes divided by grade. Helping your child to determine WHY they want to keep an item and understand LIMITATIONS of space is of critical importance to developing strong decision-making skills. You'll also thoroughly enjoy the conversations shared as you go through these projects. 

​Getting a solid start on the school year will enable your family to keep chugging along when the book reports and science fair projects begin. In fact, you’ll be able to spend more time with each other, talking about the things that bring you joy rather than arguing with your fourth grader about where the permission slip went. You’ll be able to breathe. You’ll be able to sleep. You’ll even be able to smile. Here’s to the next few weeks of prep, fellow parents! 

Get more back to school tips in our latest magazine feature with Belle Magazine! You won't want to miss it! 

For those nights when you forgot to start your dinner on plan on time or simply didn’t have one to begin with, an organized pantry is a life saver. It’s also a blessing when it’s time to pack lunches or grab breakfast on the run. But what if your pantry is a hodge-podge of cardboard boxes and heavy cans? What if you are overwhelmed by the abyss? Follow these four steps to conquer your cluttered space and put your pantry back to work.

Now that you know what items will live in your pantry, think of them in broad categories. Decide where each category will go based on the size and frequency of use, and then identify that area with a label. When we organize pantries for our clients, the most frequent categories we come across are:

• appliances (including mixers, blenders, and ice cream makers)
• baking (ingredients only, pans go elsewhere)
• beverages
• breakfast
• entertaining (including paper plates and plastic ware)
• fruits (in baskets or cans)
• grains (pastas, rice, bread)
• meats (in cans or dried form)
• sauces + soups (in jars, cans, or bottles)
• snacks
• spices overstock (to replenish your on-hand spices kept near the stove)
• spreads (jellies, nut butters, and honey)
• vegetables (in baskets or cans)

Assigning areas, or zones, to your pantry will help you find the items needed when it’s time for meal prep. They also prove their value when you return from the grocery and need to quickly empty your bags.
​

This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to learn more.

This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to learn more.

One of my favorite (and most frequent) recommendations when organizing children’s areas is to create a memory box for each child. Most parents already have something similar in place. They’ve stashed mementos, drawings, and treasures in tote bags and extra large plastic tubs to keep them safe.

While this is a great start, it becomes burdensome as the children grow older. More items need to be stored so more totes are purchased. The amount of storage space required grows like a never ending vine.

Worse, when the kids are ready to move out of the house, you’re both stuck with a disorganized, tangled mess of childhood papers, projects, and random stuff that your children now consider junk.

What in the world?! The intention was great, but it lacked one thing: forethought. Let me explain.

When city planners gather to discuss where the new road should go, they consider many things: frequency of use, amount of cars that will travel on it, potential problems, and ease of maintenance. They think decades ahead so that their work will not be in vain.

Your memory boxes deserve the same attention.

I suggest using a large letter file box. This size box is big enough to hold a childhood full of memories, but small enough to carry, stack, and store. As you shop, you’ll also want to choose a container that is relatively safe from the elements. Although plastic gives off a funky scent after so many years, it is bug and water proof. Finally, your box needs to be easy to open. While I love a good cedar chest with a beautiful brass lock, I’ve found that the keys go missing, the chest gets piled high with other things, and they’re difficult to re-home as children grow. Instead, opt for a solution that is portable and easy to use.
​

Just like lanes on a highway, creating divisions within your memory box will give you the direction you (and your child) need to organize their belongings as time goes on. Hanging file folders are a favorite of mine because they take up little space and can hold papers and trinkets. They also allow for maximum accessibility to each division. When I create memory boxes, I use the following divisions for hanging files:

• Newborn
• Toddler
• Preschool
• Kindergarten
• 1st Grade
• 2nd Grade
• 3rd Grade
• 4th Grade
• 5th Grade
• 6th Grade
• 7th Grade
• 8th Grade
• 9th Grade
• 10th Grade
• 11th Grade
• 12th Grade
• College

I prefer to divide by grades because most children organize their memories around the school calendar. They remember going to Niagara Falls after 4th grade or winning that soccer championship in 10th grade. The school calendar typically has more firm start/stop points than a child’s own birthday. However, if your child prefers to organize by given age, that’s fine too. I’ve also seen families set up boxes by category rather than grade level (i.e., school papers, sports, crafts, etc.). The only downside to organizing by categories is that it will be difficult to keep organized as the years go by and you’ll have a greater tendency to stop organizing and start piling the keepsakes.
​

This is where the rubber meets the road; where you realize whether the system you created for your toddler actually works when he’s a teenager. If you use a file box with the hanging file divisions I shared above, I promise you, the system WILL work. The trick here is to sort and file the keepsakes along the way. You may notice that a file will get particularly hefty…and may begin to crowd out others. If this happens, pull the file out and review it with your child. Are the pieces they’ve chosen to keep really their treasures from that year? Give your kids the gift of wisdom by teaching them to compare and evaluate. Children who learn to determine the value of their own belongings are better prepared to make wise investment choices as adults. Learning to live within the boundaries, within their means, will enable them to comparison shop for clothes, food, colleges, cars, and homes.

Never underestimate the power of a box.

Kids are messy, aren’t they?! Like, shockingly messy. Old candy wrappers, empty gift bags, random rock collections are found tucked away in the most interesting places. And then there’s the toys. Even if you try to keep them to a minimum (and rotate them throughout the year) the action figures, craft supplies, and Legos eventually drive you a bit bonkers. It’s okay to cry out in frustration --- you’re among friends. This idea of a clean, organized bedroom lasting more than half an hour really is the seemingly unattainable parent goal of the year.

But today is different. Starting today, that goal of yours is within reach. Why? Simple. We’re going to teach your kids how to keep their rooms clean. Kids (and a large number of adults) struggle to keep their areas clutter-free due to numerous reasons. The most common reason, however, is lack of instruction. Those who struggle to keep a tidy bedroom, home, or office simply need to be taught. These quick lessons will empower your kids for decades to come; they will equip your kids to become successful adults! And who doesn’t want that!?

Now that your child knows where everything is supposed to go, they’re physically able to put all the items away. But your child won’t do this out of the goodness of his heart and maintain it over time until it becomes a sweet habit. Nope. Your child will continue to be a kid. A creative member of the family. And creatives make messes. You don’t want to squash their creative spirit, but you do want to establish some healthy guidelines. Enter the Ten Minute Tidy. (Side note, this name isn’t original with me --- I’m sure it’s been used hundreds of times in different settings. I thought about calling it the Clean Sweep….but I know that was the name of a show. The point is, you can call this step WHATEVER you want. The name isn’t important. The action is.)

• Pick a time each day to perform your 10 (or 20) minute tidy. Morning, afternoon, evening, it’s up to you. I prefer before bed so that our family can start the next day with a clean slate.
• Set a timer. Working under a deadline helps to increase productivity.
• Have your kids perform these 3 tasks:
  • Pick up all dirty laundry.
  • Put away clean clothing.
  • Put away all toys/crafts.
• Download this sticker chart for your younger kiddos.

Daily tidying will go a long way to helping your children create cleaner, more organized spaces beyond their bedrooms. Limit the tidy time to basic tasks until they’re crushing those tasks within minutes. I like to begin with the 3 basic tasks listed above because they are the most common items I find as I organize children’s bedrooms. This should clear up 95% of the room. Additional tasks to add might include: throwing away trash, finding items to donate, vacuuming/dusting, making beds, taking laundry to the washer, running their own laundry, and picking out outfits for the next day. But again, don’t rush things. Habits take a long time to form, and you don’t want to overwhelm your child by requiring too much too soon. (Yes, I know, it shouldn’t be a hardship to tell them to clean up their trash, but these are kids we’re talking about. Just trust me on this. Low expectations are great in the beginning.)
​
Give us a call if you need help with any of these steps. We’d love to hear about your progress too. Comment below to share your story. ​