Top 7 Organizing Tips for Busy Back to School Families

1. Top 7 Organizing Tips for Busy Back to School Families Jenny Abrams Abrams Home Solutions Professional Residential Organizing & Staging Services

2. Today’s Curriculum: • The Top 7 Organizing Tips for Busy Back to School Parents • The Kindergarten Model of Organization • Websites, Platforms, and Apps to try!

3. Top 7 Organizing Tips 1. Lunches/school snacks/menu planning 2. Bedtime and morning time routines 3. Clothing inventory/getting clothes ready 4. Paper/artwork 5. School/activity schedules 6. Study/homework box/homework zone 7. Organized entry/command center

4. Period #1 - Lunches/School Snacks and Menu Planning • Create bins of lunch/snack zones in pantry or refrigerator • Pick a day of the week to grocery shop and stay consistent. • Menu plan around grocery day, look ahead at the following week’s schedule

5. Period #2 - Bedtime and Morning Routines

6. Getting Clothes Ready for the Week

7. Period #3 - Clothing Inventory/Getting Clothes Ready for the Week • Create an inventory • Pick out the week’s clothing items/accessories on Sunday night • Use the month of September to inventory what items your child may need for winter, such as coat, hat, mittens, boots, etc.

8. Period #4 - How can there be so much paper?!? • Create a designated spot for incoming paper and artwork • Paper should be an action item, a reference item, or an archive item • Create a flow and a home for each type of item

9. Paper Containment Example

10. Period #5 - School Activities/Schedules • Look through the school calendar now and add all important dates to family calendar • Create a master family calendar with different colors for each family member • Scan kids’ schedules, lunch menus, teacher contact information, etc into Evernote

11. Period #6 - Homework/Study Zones and Boxes • Create a homework box for each child • Talk to your child about where he/she wants to do homework and create a space conducive to learning • Utilize a nearby space to store electronics with their matching chargers

12. Study Box Example

13. Period #7 - Organized Entry and Command Center • Create a designated space for coats/shoes/backpacks/etc. • Create a designated space for incoming and outgoing items • Command Centers

14. Command Center Examples

15. Final Bell - The Kindergarten Model of Organization • Everything has a “home!” • Everything fits into proper storage! • Everything is labeled! • Time is spent everyday to return items to their homes! • Everyone works together to maintain the space!

16. Extra Credit – Websites, Platforms, and Apps! Websites • Artwork/photo organizing – Artkive, Chatbooks Platforms • Evernote • Google – Calendar and Drive • Dropbox

17. Extra Credit – Websites, Platforms, and Apps! Continued… Apps • Scannable • List making - Any.do, Todoist, Wunderlist, Remember the Milk • Other fun ones to try - Cozi, ChoreMonster

18. Thank you! Jenny Abrams 847.208.3563 jenny@abramshomesolutions.com Abramshomesolutions.com Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @Abramshomesolutions