All New File Totes and Decorative File Folders

Functional file totes and decorative file folders are the latest additions to our home organizing line of products.  Use the decorative file folders to create a home filing system that not only keeps you organized and clutter free but looks good too.  The file totes are perfect for work, committee meetings, volunteer work, keeping track of kids’ paperwork, job searches, and much more.

Reusable Sandwich Bags

The latest addition to our earth friendly product line, our reusable sandwich and snack bags are a great alternative to plastic  bags.  It is estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide with many of them ending up in our landfills.  Free of heavy metals (including lead), phthalates, PBBs, and PBDEs, the SnackTAXI reusable bags, are perfect for lunches, commutes, and family outings.  Available individually or in money saving combo sets.  Be sure to save an additional 20% now through March 31, 2009 with our Think Spring sale.

Spring Cleaning Checklist

We have created a spring cleaning checklist to go along with our very popular house cleaning schedule.  Enjoy!

Making Work and Family Life Manageable

I love to work and my husband thinks I’m nuts because he clearly has no problem not working.  And as sure as I am that the sun will shine tomorrow, I am equally sure that if I didn’t have my business as an outlet, I would be in first place to win the competitive parenting race and would be making my husband miserable with an unrivaled honey do list.  So for my personal satisfaction and the sanity and well being of my family, I choose to work.   

Along with this decision comes a constant struggle to balance it all.  I am by no means an expert, but after 20 some years of work experience either in a corporate environment or for myself I have developed a few strategies to make it all work.  Here are my strategies:

Establish a work schedule and stick to it

When work related emergencies come up (and they will) have a good back up plan

Communicate with your spouse everyday about work and family related responsibilities and conflicts

Hire a great nanny or daycare provider

Ease your guilt by having at least one parent attend every school function/event

Plan and schedule early

Try and be as mobile and flexible as possible with your work

Clear your mind at the end of every day with a well thought out end of work day checklist

Don’t sweat the small stuff or try and keep up with parents who do

What are your strategies?

Simple Questions Every Family Should Ask Themselves the Night Before

At first I was reluctant to write this post because on the surface it seems so simple and not very helpful.  But after forgetting to communicate with my oldest daughter for the past two weeks about a commitment I had and being forced to communicate via taped notes to the door,  I decided that maybe there was merit in writing about some simple but often overlooked questions every family should ask themselves prior to the start of a new day.  So here is my list of questions that I have now included in my daily routines.

Where am I going tomorrow and what does my family need to know about this?

Sometimes we get caught up in what our calendar says that we don’t take the time to think through the implications and the messages our family needs to hear.  Do I have a meeting that will require my daughter to let herself in the house or my husband to pick up the kids?  Taking the time to think through and ask the implications of the items on our planner will help tremendously in keeping the family in sync. 

What will me and my family need while I am gone?

Along with where we are going, there are often things we and our family will need while gone.  For example, if I am going to be late for a meeting I need to make sure my daughter has her key and that I have my planner.  Will I be sitting in a doctor’s office?  Then I should probably bring a long a good book to keep me busy. 

Where are my kids going tomorrow and what doe s the family need to know about this?

Is your child staying after school for a Brownie meeting?  Then making sure her sister knows she won’t be walking home with her would be a good idea.  Does one of my kids have an after school doctor appointment that will require me to pick the other kids up early from school?  Then this is something my kids need to know. 

What will my kids need for the next day?

Asking yourself and the kids this question will help you remember to write the permission slip, pack the Brownie vest, and include the lunch money.

What am I doing tomorrow, what do I need to do it, and what will my family need to know about this?

Okay, this is really three questions, but thought it made sense to combine it into one.  Is laundry on your do list the next day?  Then letting your husband know he needs to clean out his gym bag would be a helpful thing.  Are you picking up your son a new pair of sneakers?  Then checking to make sure you know what size he wears would be a helpful thing.

Good luck!

Think Spring Sale

Now through March 31, 2009 save an additional 20% on everything in our store with our Think Spring sale.  Use the discount coupon code thinkspring.  The discount is good on everything in our store including sale items!

Klean Kanteen Water Bottles

The latest addition to our product line, Klean Kanteen Water Bottles, are perfect for busy families looking to make a switch from plastic water bottles.  These stainless steel water bottles are made of 100% recycled stainless steel and are toxin and BPA free.  Available in a 12 oz, 18 oz, and sippy style, these stainless steel water bottles are an eco-friendly way for parents to save money and encourage a healthy lifestyle.

12 Tips on Managing Kids’ Laundry and Clothes

A post on our family life forum about organizing kids’ clothes got me thinking about all the tips and ideas I have picked up over the past 12 years in regards to managing what seems like the never ending pile of kids’ clothes.  I thought it might be a good idea to write some of them down.

1. Store outgrown clothes you are saving for a younger sibling in boxes or tubs marked with sizes. 

 

2. Go through your kids closets every spring and fall and decide what you are saving and what you are not saving. If you are saving it, put it in one of the pre-labeled boxes or containers and store them in an out of the way place. If you are donating the clothes, use Jodi’s advice and plan a goodwill pick up the day after your purge.

 

3. Use laundry baskets in the kids’ closets or bedrooms for dirty laundry. One for whites and one for darks. Teach the kids how to put their dirty clothes in them and how to sort them.

 

4. If you sell the outgrown clothes in a garage or mom to mom sale, follow my friend Sue’s advice and mark it with the price as you are purging it and storing it. This will save a lot of time when it is time to set up for the sale.

 

5. Encourage kids to get themselves dressed by putting their clothes at their levels. My 4 year old and 7 year old share a room and dresser. I make sure that the 4 year old’s clothes are in the bottom two drawers so that she can reach them herself.

 

6. When putting clothes in drawers, roll the clothes rather then fold them so that you and your child can more easily see what there is to wear rather than having to sift through a pile of folded shirts and pants.

 

7. Use a closet organizer with the days of the weeks to pre-select your kids’ outfits for the week. You will find this helps a lot with the daily morning routine.

 

8. Buy different colored or style of socks for each child so that sorting and folding is easier.

 

9. I’m not sure about you, but we seem to accumulate a lot of t-shirts from day camps and extra-curricular sports. We save them and use them as night shirts or pair them with an inexpensive pair of lounge/PJ pants from Target or Old Navy.

 

10. Keep a stain stick in the dirty laundry baskets and teach your kids to use it before they put their clothes in the dirty laundry.

 

11. Use a separate lingerie bag for each child to keep kids’ socks separate in the washer and dryer.

 

12. If you don’t know how or don’t have time to fix a hem with needle or thread, glue guns work wonders….

 

Confronting Clutter

Home is where the heart is, but it’s also where the furniture, appliances, clothing, electronics, sports equipment, tools and toys are, too.  Homes generally come with garages, basements, attic and yards, and all of which needs to be cleaned, maintained and de-cluttered. 

Shedding needless clutter and organizing the things you use and care about will help make your home a more productive and enjoyable place. By creating a welcoming and warm home, family members and friends can enjoy a place of refreshing and rest from our stress-filled world.

It’s hard to be aware of the finer moments of life when we’re stressed out trying to locate things we’ve already purchased but can’t find. It’s exasperating staring at piles of paperwork, old magazines, unopened mail, laundry, clothes that need mending, and so on.

Here are some simple strategies to bring GENERAL CLUTTER under control.

BEFORE YOU START:

1. Schedule a day when you can do a whole-house clutter sweep.
2. Arrange for a local thrift store or charity to come to your home the day after “Declutter Day.” This way you will have a firm deadline.
3. Gather several types of containers. I recommend clear, stackable plastic storage bins. Also, have at least one large garbage bag for each room for trash. Label the containers: GIVE AWAY / GARAGE SALE / STORAGE / UNDECIDED. I like to have several shoeboxes for random things so I can store similar items together.
4. Eat a good breakfast, put on comfortable clothes and turn on some lively music.
5. Eliminate all distractions. Turn off cell phones and televisions.

LET’S GET STARTED:

1. Start with the most cluttered room in your house. Remove everything from shelves, bookcases, drawers, tabletops, floors and walls. Take a moment to envision your perfectly organized space.  Take note of wasted space you can turn into well-utilized space.
2. Toss or give away as much as possible. Concentrate and eliminate. When it comes to magazines, catalogs, craft material you been saving but haven’t used, be brutal. Weed out games your family doesn’t play and books you never read.

To make the task of decluttering manageable, establish three rules. First, the “In and Out ” rule means every time something new comes into the house, you get rid of an old item. For example, if you buy a new set of towels, get rid of the old ones, or designate them for car washing. Secondly, enforce the “Put It Up, Not Down” rule. This rule will transform your entire world when everyone in the family consistently returns everything back to where it belongs. Lastly, the “Save Photos, Not Objects” rule applies to artwork, report cards, uniforms and all items or clothing.

ASK THESE QUESTIONS: When was the last time it was used? Worn? Play with? Does it deserve valuable space in our home? Are there memories attached to it? (Take a photo.) What am I going to do with it? Fix it, sell it, toss it, or donate it?

DON’T FALL FOR THESE EXCUSES: Do not allow excuses to take root in your mind such as “It cost money. I can’t get rid of it,” or “There’s too much. Why even start?” or “My family’s a mess. Clutter is inevitable.” And everyone’s favorite excuse for saving unnecessary things, “It may come in handy someday,” or “I’ll keep it until I find someone who needs it.” Be mindful of what you tell yourself. Resist excuses.

PAPER CLUTTER

Flat surfaces are magnets for paper clutter. Discourage family members from piling their stuff on kitchen countertops and dining room tables. Designate specific places for paper and use an IN BOX for school notices, receipts, menus, coupons, invitations, etc. and set up a separate MAIL BASKET for daily mail.

Get rid of all magazines by a certain date. Mark your calendar. If you haven’t gotten around to reading an article, then cut it out and put it in a file labeled “MUST READ.” If you receive multiple or unwanted catalogs, clip the address labels from the catalogs and return them to the company with a note asking to be removed their mailing list. Visit http://www.stopthejunkmail.com/ to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. For $20 a year, you can get your name off thousands of lists used by telemarketers and marketing databases.

If piles of paperwork are ruining your tranquility, try conquering a little bit at a time. Practice double-timing. When you’re watching television, grab some file folders, your label maker, a trashcan and a pile of papers you need to deal with and go for it.

KID CLUTTER

Kids’ bedrooms are a breeding ground for clutter. These guidelines will teach your children valuable lessons about how to care for possessions.

1. No food in the bedroom.
2. All dirty clothes in a hamper.
3. Nothing with wheels left on the floor.
4. Put away toys that you aren’t playing with before moving onto something new.
5. Straighten your room before going to bed.

If your efforts seem to be going nowhere, you could try “Clutter Jail.”  If an item is not put back where it belongs, it goes to Clutter Jail. A box or laundry basket will do. The item cannot be reclaimed until Sunday night when the messy culprit has to pay a handling fee. (Fees or fines are optional.)

Also, to reduce frustration, make neatness fun. Involve the children in deciding where everything belongs or “lives.” Make it exciting by letting the kids take turns ringing a bell announcing clean up or Get Out of Clutter Jail time. Use rolling plastic storage bins to store toys under the bed or in a closet. Lower the bars in your child’s closet so he or she can hang up his or her own clothes. Hang a hat rack on the back of a door so he or she can keep his hats and baseball caps neat and on display.

And here’s the best tip of all — remember the power of TEN. You’d be surprised at how much you can accomplish in just 10 minutes. Getting organized is not just about taking care of your stuff. As Winston Churchill said, “We shape our house, then our houses shape us.”

Jodie Randisi is a certified Family Manager ^tm coach and the author of 201 Things to Do When Children Say I’M BORED. For more information about Family Manager coaching or to get a copy of her book, go to www.201thingstodo.com.

Laptop Lunch Boxes

Over the next few weeks we will be adding a whole new line of earth friendly products.  Our first product in the launch of our new line is the Laptop Lunch Box.  The Laptop Lunch Box is the perfect way to offer your kids nutritious fun lunch choices while greatly reducing the use of paper and plastic bags.  Available in 5 great colors, the Laptop Lunch Box is the perfect solution for busy families on the go who are looking for eco-friendly healthy meal alternatives.