Back to School Time Management

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Back to school means getting back into schedules, activities and getting to school on time.  It is hard to do, especially after summer.   One of the most important parts of back to school is getting back or getting going on good routines.  Routines are the consistent, every day ways of getting things done that make life easier.  Try out these routines this fall, starting them the third week of August, so that by the first day of school you are already in the groove. 

  •  Have a set schedule for homework and other chores.  Designate a little time for down time, and then start on homework in the late afternoon. The later you start homework, the longer it takes.  Decide on what chores are done on what days and post a chart so everyone is on board with this plan. 
  • Use power periods to get homework done. Instead of 2 hours straight, break your homework time into 15,30 or 45 minutes of work and 5 minutes of walking around, getting a drink,texting friends or taking a very short break. Your kids will be more efficient if they know that the homework needs to be done in 45 minutes.
  • All kids and parents need planners and calendars.  Host a family meeting each week to write in on a month at a glance calendar what upcoming and regular events are going on. Include even the weekly activities, like ballet, football or other kids and parent activities.  You can use the google calendar or Cozi.com if you are a techie, and print the calendar to post too.  Kids bring their planners too to fill in so everyone is modeling and practicing how to use their planners.
  • Set a bed time for the kids and parents.   Well rested kids do better in school. Well rested parents are more productive.  Set alarm clocks for everyone to get up and get going. 

Take a good look at the big picture and what you want this year to be for your family.  At your family meeting, have everyone talk about this and share.  Also think through over scheduling.  Be realistic about what your kids participate in and your commitment.  Being involved is a positive, but being over involved can cause stress and frustration.

Organizing for College

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college organizing

 

 

Its time to send your baby off to college, and there is a lot of preparation to do!  Not only will they be working on academics, they will be working on real life!  Your kid may be ready to fly the coop, and you are not sure they are as prepared as you might like.  Having an organized approach will make for an A+ transition!  Organizing for college is a collaboration with your child.

 

  • Talk through the college day with your student. No longer will they be going to one spot all day long. What will their day be like? Help them write up a schedule that will work for them, taking into account their class times, and their high energy times.

 

  • Help them set up a planner that will work for them.  Getting started in college is where real life time management begins. Having a great week at a glance planner in paper or technology will be the first step in making real decisions about their time, their priorities and their schedules.   Record all the day’s details in their planner so they can see just how busy they are.  Using their phone is a great option since it is with them all the time, they can set reminders and recurring events, and they can check it whenever and wherever.  You can also recommended a toodledoo or notes for reminders on tasks.

 

  • Paper is a reality for college kids.  Help them set up a small filing system in a file box for their important papers such as enrollment documents. Encourage them to pay bills online  and use ways to eliminate paper as much as possible. For their class notes and more, what will work best for them? Spiral notebooks, pads, or ??? As long as their system works, that is what is most important.

 

  • The realities of dorm living mean two kids in a space about the same size as their bathroom at home.   Consolidating, communicating and coordinating are key components to getting along in a small space.    Encourage your student to do all of these in a positive, open and honest way for sharing a living space.  Storage is always at a premium.   Look for creative ways to maximize the space you have and use labeled uniform bins to store less frequently used items.

 

  • Encourage your kids to rely on their strengths and core values. They are entering a time when there is a lot of new information and lots to think about.  When they rely on their true strengths, they are most comfortable with their decisions.  Core values like tenacity, honesty, creativity, and determination all make for college success.

 

  • Keep communication going with the home front. Our kids will “fondly” remember that Sunday was the day to call home!  Having one day to be sure to touch base, even in this time of texting, makes it a little easier on everyone.

 

  • Parents can forever seem like worriers, but encourage them to keep safety in mind.  Have a flashlight, jumper cables and a real first aid kit in their car.  Just in case!

How is your organizing coming for your best college year yet?

Transition to Fall: A Two Part Decluttering and Design Workshop

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Kingwood Library

August 30 from 1- 2:30 pm

After the summer heat, we are all looking forward to transitioning to cooler weather and fall gatherings in our homes. Make a difference in your home this fall! On August 30, from 1- 2:30 pm, Join Certified Professional Organizer and Family Manager Coach Ellen Delap for Transition Into Fall: Easy Eliminating and Closet Consolidating. Learn easy ways to eliminate clutter, consolidate for storage and stay organized in your home. Ellen will share tips on making the most of your time spent decluttering and organizing. Also join Author, Speaker, and Interior Decorator, Leslie Sarmiento, owner of Decorating Den Interiors, for Transition Into Fall: Ease Out of Your Decorating Comfort Zone. She will be presenting the elements of the Transitional Style of Decorating and the 5 simple steps you can take to create a fresh, new look for Fall. Learn more about Ellen at www.professional-organizer.com or on Facebook at EllenDelapProfessionalOrganizer. Learn more about Leslie at www.LeslieSarmiento.com or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DesignIdeas.

Technology Tweaks with Big Organizing Payoffs

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Even the smallest tweak and tip with technology can make a difference.

  • Need to create your grocery list or other list by store? Try the app ziplist for your smart phone. It helps you create a checklist by store. 
  • Use click ‘n ship at www.usps.com.   Get postage online and print it on  your computer! All you have to do is drop it off!
  • Getting lost? Print out your map from google and keep it on the car seat next to you. 
  • Use Evernote www.evernote.com or Dropbox www.dropbox.com to keep up with your ideas and notes. 
  • Use Send Out Cards to send cards and gifts to family, friends and clients.  I joined Send Out Cards because I am passionate about making mail more fun!  Just click on this to send a smile, a congratulations or celebrate an event!  https://www.sendoutcards.com/storefront/ellendelap/
  • Love to try new recipes or looking for old favorites? Try www.allrecipes.com.
  • Keep all your important phone numbers in your phone for easy dialing.

What is your favorite technology tweak?

In every job there must be done, there is an element of fun!

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making organizing fun

 

 

Just a quick quote from Mary Poppins, but it is so true!  What if you knew that getting organized would be fun? You find the fun and …. (you finish the quote here!).

Here are a few ways to add in fun:

  • Add music you love listening to Sirius radio
  • Create a Pandora station just for when you are organizing
  • Add people to the mix like your family or friends
  • Set the timer and play Beat the Clock
  • Gather up your junk mail, use it to build a fire in your barbeque pit, and roast marshmellows
  • Play 27 fling bogey (Fly Lady’s decluttering trick: fill a garbage bag with 27 items to eliminate)
  • Purchase bins to organize using colors that you love and make you smile
  • Write a letter to your stuff, about breaking up with it.
  • Gather up your goodies and host a swap with friends, especially for kids clothes.
  • Rent a dumpster and toss it in (Really over the top!  But, I have heard this is really a thrill!)

So just how do you make organizing fun?

Putting into practice Getting “Off the Grid”

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How do you disconnect, get “off the grid”, or take a “digital sabbatical’?

For me, it is a day I decide that I need some time away. I want to be in the moment with the people I am connecting too, not thinking about all the responsibilities of work. 

It can start very small with a few hours  between checking email and your phone.  Just begin with a routine of checking email 3 times a day. 

The same can happen with your phone.  While we do use our cell phone for our family connections too, you can choose to return phone calls at 5 pm for a day. 

It can grow to be one day every week, like Sunday.  You can plan on a nap, plan some family fun, and plan some rejuvenation time.

And it can be a leap! You can take a week for a vacation or a stay-cation.  Using technology for information about your destination and your travel, you can restrict your technology connection.

So how does it start? With your commitment to being in the moment, taking time to take a break and taking time to do all those things you love.

Need more convincing? Check out this blog post by Gwen Bell.  http://www.gwenbell.com/digital-sabbatical/

For the other side’s perspective, here is also a blog by Peter Shankman.  http://shankman.com/how-do-you-define-off-the-grid/

How are you putting into practice a little R&R away from technology this summer? It is realistic? Do you want to?  I would love to know how you make the break or make the connections while away.

Unplug this Summer

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Summer is our time to kick back, enjoy some time for family and vacations, and relax.  In our 24/7 world, this is hard.  We are tethered to our work with our technology. There are good reasons to take a break.  NASA researchers recently found that vacationers experienced an 82% increase in job performance post-trip.  Performance expert Tony Schwartz says, in addition to being rejuvenating, relaxing helps your brain take in new information more easily and enhances your creativity.  Summer gives us the opportunity to deeply connect to our family in a less structured environment.  With more time to talk and be together, relationships take on new meaning.  We all do our best when we have the opportunity to rejuvenate and reconnect. 

Setting boundaries for your technology
It’s a choice to answer the phone, check your email, and step away from the computer.  Head out with your head in the holiday game!  Look forward to the time you are resting, relaxing, being adventurous and being away from every day.   Set yourself up for success by leaving processes in place for those around you in the office with procedures to follow. 

If you are the type that can’t leave home without it being spotless, give yourself time to get your home ready. Get the laundry done, your mail sorted and your home in tip top shape the week before.  Clear your plate as much as you can at home and work. 

 Unplug for a day: For You

  • Take a day during the middle of the week to take off.  Plan a “field trip” for yourself to a local museum, Farmer’s Market, or destination you have wanted to visit, but never have the time.
  •  Plan a day camp for your kids at a local community college or YMCA, then head home and sit in the quiet.  Read a book or magazines you have been waiting to read for a while.  
  •  Set a boundary to check your email only in the morning on Saturday.  Spend the day doing and connecting with your family or on your own. 

Unplug for a day: Your Kids

  •  Set aside a day to play cards, board games or family charades.
  •  Go fishing with your kids for a day at a lake or in Galveston.
  •  Establish screen time boundaries for daily living in your home, such as technology at dinner. 

Unplug for a week: a big leap!

  • Take your cell phone for just emergency, but take off from your email, leaving behind an auto-responder directing people to connect with those at work who can assist them.
  •  Take a stay-cation at home for a week, just to enjoy area destinations you and your family have not visited. No packing required, but staying on the vacation mindset is.  Connect with your family and establish tech-free times.  Play games, go to the pool, and ride bikes as ways to connect without your technology. 
  •  Take a vacation and plan your day’s activities.  Use the internet for coupons and sightseeing, but not for email.  Leave all the technology at the hotel, safely stored. 
  • Give yourself an extra day to get back into the groove at home and work. Return home early or take Monday off to get this extra time.  No meetings or appointments on this day! If your laundry is overwhelming, take it to the Laundromat for the “fluff and fold” treatment.  Be brutal about paper and mail and cull only what must be kept and acted on. 
  • Break away from being overwhelmed by making a list and prioritizing what needs to be done. 

 In the end, it is all about taking the opportunity for intentional and mindful technology use.  Truly we feel our best and do our best work because of relationships and renewal! You will be very glad you did!

Got Summer? Get Going!

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Summer is that lazy, hazy time, when we really like to kick back! But this is a great time to get going with your family fun, something that may have been sidetracked during the school year.  Family fun can be simple, 50s style, easy activities. However, it takes making a plan to have this happen!

Gather your family together to brain storm what is most important to each person.  Family members need to each have one special activity for the summer.  Get out your calendar and write these in. Otherwise, summer will be over before you know it.  Not only are  you modeling great time management skills, you are making great summer family memories too!

Stumped on ideas for fun?  Here we go!

  • Homemade ice cream
  • Ice cream sundae party
  • Board games
  • Sprinklers galore
  • Bike rides
  • Popcorn and movie night
  • Sleep under the stars
  • Bake cookies
  • Walk a nature trail
  • Pick berries
  • Grow a garden
  • Volunteer at a thrift shop
  • Bubbles
  • Side walk chalk art

 All of these affordable ways to have fun take just a few minutes of preparation, but you will be thrilled you did!

Great websites for summer fun!

http://www.squidoo.com/kidssummeractivities

http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/teens/

Travel Organized with the Smead Travel Organizer

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Getting organized for your upcoming travels is the best way to ensure happy holidays!  Keeping all your documents, coupons, and papers together is important, especially when away from home.

Keep these papers together for your upcoming trip.

  • Hotel
  • Airlines/transportation
  • Sightseeing
  • Itineraries

In addition, you may need these personal items.

  • Prescriptions
  • Medical instructions or allergy information
  • Contact information for emergency
  • Contact information to meet friends while on vacation
  • Copy of your credit cards, passport and driver’s license

Using the Smead Travel Organizer, you can divide up your documents by category for easy access.  The clear exterior with pockets makes it very visual, so you always know where items are. A small front pocket is a great spot to keep your receipts! 

Keep your credit card, passport and driver’s license separate to prevent theft of both, just in case. 

For more information on this product, visit www.smead.com.  For reviewing this product, I was given one was a gift by Smead.

Enjoy this printable travel checklist, free from Smead!  http://www.smead.com/hot-topics/printable-travel-checklist-1792.asp