Family Organizing Archives - Page 9 of 27 - Ellen's Blog, Professional Organizing for Kingwood & Houston

3 Tips for a Productive Family Meeting

January 1, 2014/22 Comments/in Family Organizing, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

3 tips for productive family meetings

School is in full swing. Your kids have after school scouts and ballet. Your work requires extra hours and your partner travels. How do you pull together your family for cohesiveness an collaboration? It’s time for your family meeting! Follow these three tips for a productive family meeting.

What is a family meeting? It’s a time everyone gather together to share their upcoming activities, share family responsibilities, plan ahead as a family and have some family fun. Set aside the eye rolling from either your kids or your partner as family meetings are an important way to stay on top of what is going on and prioritize your family unit.

Keep it short

No one wants to sit for hours in any meeting. Keep a quick agenda for your meeting. Start the meeting promptly and run through the calendars of each family member. Record this on a month at a glance calendar, either digital or paper. This part of the meeting should be limited to 20 minutes max.Post it prominently where everyone sees the calendar regularly. (Near food is good!)

Focus on positive communication

Next move on to family fun. Alternate who gets to choose the fun, including mom and dad. Have a list of possible activities, in case there is dissension. Whether it is a good old fashioned kick ball game, a walk, or a fabulous dessert, focus on positive communication and sharing. There are no wrong answers to having fun! Acknowledging feelings and active listening create collaboration in families. Promote a team attitude by working together and playing together.

Set a time that works

Family meetings can be any time of the week. Setting aside a time to meet consistently is important. It can be when your family is gearing up for the week, such as early Sunday evening. It can also be when you are gearing down from the week, like Friday evening. Be sure it is a time everyone can attend and guard this time from other distractions.

My own kids recall our family meetings to this day! It has sparked their own versions in their homes, including High, Low and Dirt. This nightly conversation starter in my son’s home has to do with what was good, bad and just plain interesting in their and their kids’ lives that day.

When can you start hosting a family meeting in your home?

Join me on my pinterest board with Command Center for Communication.

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Easy Organized Thanksgiving

November 20, 2013/2 Comments/in Family Organizing, Holiday organizing/by Ellen

Thanksgiving is our national holiday for gratitude. We are abundantly blessed in our country with privileges and resources. The celebration focuses on an abundant table, set with all sorts of fabulous food. It can be a overwhelming to prepare for this holiday. Let’s plan an easy organized Thanksgiving this year.

Thanksgiving is when our family and friends come together to celebrate. Start with a guest list and a meal plan. Knowing how many guests are coming makes setting up easier. Knowing your meal plan makes for easy delegation and participation for guests. Everyone wants to help, so when asked you are ready to share responsibility for side dishes.
Write down a time line for food preparation. Frozen turkeys often take longer than expected to defrost so start early. Starting with the Sunday before the holiday, write down what you want to accomplish each day. Be sure to include dates for grocery shopping, pie baking and making side dishes.
Not enough oven room? Think about crockpot dishes for sweet potatoes or green bean casserole. You can even do your turkey in the crockpot!
Ask your family to help. They can set your tables early and make table decorations too. Set out your table ware and serving pieces and label these with post it notes. For guests bringing dishes, be sure to have serving pieces and spots available.
Purchase inexpensive dollar store cartons for leftovers for yourself, your family and your guests. Sending leftovers with guests is a special gift for them!

Join me for more Thanksgiving tips on food and crafts on pinterest Happy Holidays.

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Hugs and Happy Organizing: Pantry Organizing

November 13, 2013/0 Comments/in Closet Organizing, Family Organizing, Hugs and Happy Organizing/by Ellen

Hugs and happy organizing is all about client success stories. Here you will find a pantry organizing success story.

hugs and happy organizing pantry

Families, family dinners, family holidays all focus on the pantry! Is you pantry chaotic? Is it a jungle of different cans, granola bars and seldom used mixes? Difficult to know what to make for dinner? It’s time to organize your pantry to make your life and your family meal times easier.

Remove all the items from the pantry, tossing what is expired. Everyone has their own opinion of “expired”. Decide on yours and follow through on it.
Group the items together by use and like the grocery store. Typical categories include baking, breakfast, canned veggies, canned meats, beverages, pastas, rice, snacks and condiments.
Use plastic bins to help group items together and take advantage of deep shelves. Bins help you “reach” to the back of a deep area. Place a front and a back bin so you can move the front bin and reach the back bin.
Remove snack items from boxes for easier access for your kids. Place these bins on a low shelf for easy access for the kids too.
Label the bins so everyone knows where items belong.
Place items into your pantry by use. The more frequently used items should be stored near the entry. Extra storage of bulk purchases should be in the back and at a lower level.
Keep the floor clear. Just like a closet, blocked access creates disorganization.

Keep a grocery list dry erase board easy to access in the pantry. Family can add to the list and it’s easier to grocery shop too.

More Hugs and Happy Organizing success stories on pinterest.

Want to rethink the gift giving? Clutter free gifts make the difference! Join me on pinterest for Happy Holidays.

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Holiday Technology Tools

November 5, 2013/4 Comments/in Family Organizing, Green Organizing, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

The holiday buzz starts early! In October and November is the time to get started on our holiday preparations. Not only do we need the time, it is tons of fun to stretch out the holiday spirit. Why not add some new tools to your holiday preparations? Get ahead this year with your holiday planning using holiday technology. Thanks to Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, I am surrounded (virtually) by amazing women entrepreneurs and bloggers. I asked them to share what works best!

I use evite to organize all the gatherings for the end of the year holidays. From guests, who will come or not, what to bring, attire and super cute templates, I just love this online tool year-round. I also love Shutterfly’s shared websites to organize the kids’ classroom parties. Once you create the event you can add a sign-up list of what to bring, and afterwards we all share our favorite pictures. Having fun just got a lot easier with these tools!

Helena Alkhas

www.facebook.com/HelenaAPersonalOrganizer

@HelenaAlkhas

www.pinterest.com/helenaalkhas

www.youtube.com/user/HelenaAlkhas

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+HelenaAlkhasHA1/posts

Think about unplugging for a couple days during the holidays. Use your technology to plan better, such as google calendar. Automate as much as you can with holiday cards and automatic payments.

Laura Rolands

@coachforADHD

www.myattentioncoach.com

www.facebook.com/myattentioncoach

Managing the way I read the news and any other topics I’m interested has changed dramatically thanks to my favorite tool – Flipboard. It makes every story into a beautiful magazine-like page that can be ‘flipped’ through. Personally, I love flipping through: news, art, culture, travel, style and lifestyle topics to name a few.

Geralin Thomas

@metrozing

www.metropolitanorganizing.com

https://www.facebook.com/GeralinThomas

http://www.pinterest.com/Geralin/

I use a binder designated Holidays and fill it with lists for cards, crafts, gifts, meals and recipes. These are all printed from ListPlanIt, of course!

Jen Tankersley

@ListPlanIt

www.listplanit.com

www.facebook.com/ListPlanIt

My favorite Holiday Tech Tool is SendOutCards. http://www.sendoutcards.com/11788. I used to spend hours writing personal messages, stuffing, addressing and stamping envelopes for my Christmas cards. Every year, to try to save time, the list would get shorter and shorter. Then I found SendOutCards. I now send over 300 greetings, each with a personal message, in a fraction of the time. It allows me to send my love and well wishes in a big way.

Stephanie LH Calahan – Business Vision Catalyst

@StephCalahan

http://www.stephaniecalahan.com

During the holidays, I do much of my shopping online to avoid mall rage. (Closely related to road rage, but without vehicles.) I never shop for anything without first checking www.retailmenot.com to see if there are coupon codes for that site. I’ve saved on everything from ordering pizza to photos. Then I log into www.ebates.com where I get paid cash back to shop! The amount varies per store, per day but when I combine those two, I’ve saved sometimes up to 25% in discounts and getting cash back. Don’t shop online without these tools!

Kirsten Oliphant

@kikimojo (twitter, instagram, Pinterest)

www.kirstenoliphant.com

Managing holiday music has never been easier with Pandora radio. It is an option for the smart phone or computer. At www.pandora.com, you choose free music to play, choosing by artist or genre. It creates “stations” with various artists. The most amazing aspect is the “mix” Pandora radio creates with your station. The variety of artists is unlimited too!

Certified Professional Organizer Ellen Delap

@TexasOrganizer

www.professional-organizer.com

www.facebook.com/EllenDelapProfessionalOrganizer

www.pinterest/EllenDelap

Join me for more holiday tips on pinterest Happy Holidays.

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Back to School: Student Organizing

August 27, 2013/1 Comment/in Back to School, Family Organizing, Organizing Skills, Student Organizing/by Ellen

There are really no classes that teach organizing to your student. Teachers will assign ways to organize a notebook or keep up with papers in a way they think will work for your student. But organizing styles vary. Here are some ways to help your middle and high school student get organized for school.

Take a trip to a local retailer to talk about the planners that are available. Most students need a week at a glance planner. It can be a medium or large size, preferably spiral bound to fully open, and with an array of spaces to write in assignments. Have your student talk through how they will use the planner, how it will fit in their backpack, and how quickly they can get it out to write in their assignments. Writing down each assignment is a critical factor in getting homework done. If your student is dismisses the idea of a planner, you can start with an open pad of paper or even index cards. Students need to write stuff down.
Start talking about times to start and end homework. Our students are busy and have a lot on their plate. Talk about how long does it take to do homework. Most students do best with a short break before starting homework and knowing to finish by a certain time. Having time on the weekend is important for projects and getting a little ahead each week.
Set up a space for homework that promotes productivity. The dining room is a great spot to work because there are few distractions. Stock a caddy with the tools needed, like pens, stapler, scissors, index cards and tape.
Establish a homework folder. This is the one place all homework goes to when assigned and ends up in when completed. Having a single spot to put any and all homework and notes makes it easy to find and turn in assignments.
Kids are overwhelmed by paper too. Set up one notebook that holds all the subjects. It’s easier to keep up with one notebook than seven. In the notebook use tabbed slash pockets for each subject. Papers slip in and out easily without needing a hole punch. Purchase a small file box and label tabbed hanging files with each subject. Once a marking period, sit with your student while cleaning out from the notebook to the file.

What strategies does your student use to organize?

Back to School: Organizing Your Kids Clothes

August 14, 2013/1 Comment/in Back to School, Family Organizing, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

It’s just a few weeks before school starts and your kids are still in shorts and tee shirts. The drawers in their rooms are overflowing with sizes ranging from too small to too big. And you have just returned from purchasing school clothes for this year. It’s clothes chaos! Follow these simple steps to get your kids clothes ready for back to school.

Set a side a two hour time block to work in each child’s space. Sort through all the clothes and keep only what fits in the drawers or closet. Keep the other sizes in bins marked by size, gender, and season. These can be stored in the attic and stacked. Mark the bins well, on the top, side and front, so you know what is what. Most of the time just you do the sorting, not the kids, just to expedite the process. Use a bin no larger than 66 quart just so you can easily move it once it is filled with clothes. Some people prefer to use space bags to store clothes under the kids’ beds too. Remember to keep only what is in prime condition. Yucky or torn clothes should be donated as rags.
Decide what access you want your kids to have to clothes. It’s easiest for them to dress themselves when they can easily reach what is acceptable school attire. Hang the party dresses, extra jackets or too short shorts in a less accessible spot. If you have just a long hang section in their closet, create a second hanging shelf with a double hang closet rod. Another great tool is the 6 shelf hanging system. It’s easy to see and access for everyone. If you use a dresser, be sure the drawers easily glide in and out for your kids to get in there easily.
Place the clothes in the best spots and then label the shelf or drawer. It is so much easier for everyone with labeling! Dad, Mom, kids, and helpers all know where the laundry goes when it is ready to put away.
Make laundry easy with a divided sorter. Slots can be darks, lights, towels or kids, adults, dry clean. Place the sorter where everyone can drop their clothes in easily.
As the seasons change, take an hour to remove and store the clothes you are keeping for the next child. Grab a bin and keep your clothes storage system up to date.
Have your kids lay their clothes out the night before. It eliminates one more thing to do in the morning. They can keep their jammies under their pillow and quickly get ready each day.

What ways do you make organizing your kids’ clothes easier?

Back to School: Organize your School Supplies

August 9, 2013/0 Comments/in Back to School, Family Organizing, Organizing products, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

Back to school sales are everywhere at this time of year. Most families have a large supply of items often spread out around the house. Organizing your supplies saves you money and time.

Get started by corralling all your supplies. Supplies may be hiding in various spots, including your kids’ rooms, the office or the kitchen. Gather these together to assess what you have. You may have a glut of lined paper and not even know.
Decide on a common location to house your supplies. The location should be easy access for your kids so they can check and see when they need something. Great spots to keep supplies are an office area, a secondary or storage off the kitchen. With a central location, you can also check throughout the year on what to purchase.
Your storage location dictates your organizing strategy and tools. Some ideas depending on your space include a 3 drawer sterilite bin, stacked shoebox bins, cute stacking boxes or a back of the door shoe organizer. Stock your kids’ back packs too including tools in one part of their backpacks or a zipper case.
Be sure to label each category so that everyone knows where to get and return the supplies.

Routines make Back To School So Easy!

August 6, 2013/0 Comments/in Back to School, Family Organizing, Organizing Skills, Productivity/by Ellen

Back to school so soon! Get in the Back to School Groove with these simple routines. This article is featured on Organize to Revitalize.

http://dallisonlee.com/blog/2013/08/05/get-in-the-back-to-school-groove/

Hugs and Happy Organizing Kitchen Command Center

July 29, 2013/0 Comments/in Family Organizing, Hugs and Happy Organizing, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

Kitchen work spaces and counters get cluttered with papers, toys, supplies and projects. Help yourself to some inner and outer calm by clearing the clutter in this space. Setting up your kitchen command center makes it easy to find what you need when you need it.

First distribute all the items to their proper homes. Have your kids be runners, set the kitchen timer, and play beat the clock. If you are the runner, separate everything into piles for each room first.
Create a slot for different categories of items you intend to keep at your work space. These categories include directories, cookbooks, school supplies, bills paying and any other task you want to do in this space. Remember the more tasks to do, the more that needs to be stored. Assign another spot as the family landing strip. Keeping this area sacred for the tasks to be done there keeps it clear.
Give yourself a weekly, one hour time to work in this area on papers. This keeps clutter from accumulating.
Be sure to include a nearby recycling or trash area.

Hugs and happy organizing!

Back to School Checklists

July 25, 2013/0 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Family Organizing, Financial organizing, Organizing Skills, Time management/by Ellen

I love checklists! Back to school can be stressful and often we forget some of the most important, simple items. Here are a few sample back to school checklists to cover your back to school needs.