Friday

Less Stress Getting Organized for the School/Holiday Season #Giveaway

Not only can Back to School Season be an extremely hectic time, it can be difficult to get yourself into a new routine.  Then almost immediately, you have to start worrying about planning and organizing for the holidays as well.  It doesn't always have to be so stressful and A Lucky Ladybug has a few tips to help you get your family organized during this hectic time of year!

  • Pick a central location in your home for a calendar or schedule of some sorts.  This can be a main entrance area, the kitchen, bedroom hallway, or even the living room depending on your house floor plan.
  • Plan an area for homework and have some main supplies readily available for kids to stay focused.  This can be a desk in a bedroom or office, kitchen table or breakfast bar, or living room table.  Again this depends on where you think your child can focus most.
  • Make an ideal weekly schedule.  Remember not to set a schedule in stone, be flexible and understand not everything happens on schedule or the same every day.  However, having an idea of how the days should flow will create less stress on both you and the kids!
  • Start a somewhat strict daily routine to coinciding with scheduling.  Again not everything is going to happen at a specific time BUT giving the kids an expectation once they are home helps keep from missing tasks throughout the day or added stress in the morning getting ready for school.  Ie. My kids know they come home from the bus, eat a snack, work on homework, have play time, eat dinner, get ready for bed, prep clothes and backpacks for tomorrow, and get in bed at a specific time.  Each activity doesn't have a specific time to start or even finish, they just know the expectations to strive for.
  • Keep your spaces organized in groups or categories according to importance.  Now I'm not saying become an Obsessive Compulsive person (like me), but it only makes sense to keep your school supplies together, your shower and bathroom products together, and a place for gear like backpacks, coats, and shoes.

 Great Expressions Dental Centers (GEDC), a leading dental service organization, would like to offer some creative ways to keep your house organized for the school year too!

  1. Utensil Trays. Utensil trays can hold more than just kitchen utensils. Place a tray in your bathroom for organized, sanitary toothbrush, toothpaste and floss storage.
  2. Shoe boxes.  It can be difficult to find the mouthwash when it’s thrown in with everything else. Give your shoe boxes another life and fit them into the cabinets and drawers for more compartmental storage.
  3. Towel Bars. The back of your bathroom door can be used for drying and hanging multiple towels. To use this space efficiently, install towel bars vertically below each other. 
  4. Book shelves. Backpacks are likely to hit the ground once the children come home from school. A book shelf can serve as multi storage space for shoes on the bottom shelf and backpacks on the top. 
  5. Mason Jars. Mason jars are good for liquids, but they’re even better for writing utensils! Place a mason jar on each office desk to track all the pencils during the school year.
  6. Picture Frames. It can be hard to keep the house tidy if we don’t remember what to tidy up! Write on a picture frame with a dry erase marker to keep track of your family’s ‘to-do’ list and dental appointments.

Giveaway:  Great Expressions Dental Centers is going to give FIVE of A Lucky Ladybug's lucky readers a special Gift Package* in hopes of helping you stress out less and get organized! *Package includes year supply of toothbrushes (16), toothpaste (25), floss (25) and mouthwash (25)
*Read my Disclosure

40 comments:

  1. I store all my small earrings in plastic ice cube trays. They also stack, one on top of the other. I put different colors of panties in plastic shoe boxes.

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  2. I use lists to stay organized, both paper and electronic. I also have a day planner to keep up with my daily life, and an online calendar that keeps the bigger picture for me.

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  3. I put things where they work for me: vitamins by the juice glasses, coat hooks in the garage next to the car.

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  4. Getting organized is really hard for me. I take a day and put all like items together. I have limited cupboards, so I use shelves and cubby holes. This seems to work for me.

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  5. We use a utensil drawer in our top bathroom drawer to hold all our tooth brushing needs. I really find this great and it keeps the tooth brushes out of the open where germs and dust can get on them.

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  6. My kids can never find the shoes they want so I put a large wooden clothes basket by the door to store shoes in. It helps about 50% of the time :)

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  7. I get organized by buying up all kinds of little trays and boxes and dividers at the dollar store and I have them in every drawer in my house! It really helps to corral different items together and makes a big difference in how organized I feel!
    addictedtorodeo at gmail dot com
    Ashley C

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  8. Every year, usually in the fall, I try to go through each room of my home and make sure that every item has a purpose and has been used in the previous year. If not, it goes to Goodwill!

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  9. I have several note pads around the house and in my purse to write what I need to remember to do.

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  10. We use these small plastic tubs for each kid. They hold their toothbrush, paste and flossers. It works great. Thank you

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  11. I try and make sure I put everything back were it belongs

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  12. I like to keep a calendar in our kitchen to write down important dates.

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  13. My tip for helping with reducing stress during the fall/winter holiday season is to get Halloween costumes planned/done/purchased in September before crowds start, order a remade meal from somewhere for Thanksgiving, and to not go overboard for Christmas.

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  14. I stay organized by everything having a spot and keeping it in there

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  15. I use plastic shoe box totes with lids to store small toys, bathroom soaps, etc... Keeps things neat and oraganized.

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  16. Bins, bins and more bins. I have bins in my boys rooms for their toys. They are great because they can be stacked. I have bins in my closet for shoes. I have a bin that holds all of my cat treats and food, a bin under my bathroom sink for lotions and potions that can be pulled out easily. I could go on for days, lol!

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  17. We get organized for back to school by designating special areas for certain things. One for all their backpacks, drawers for each day with the clothes they'll wear for the day, a special homework area.

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  18. I have a planner where I make note of all events going on and reminders, keeps me organized

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  19. I organized my day by using the calendar on my phone. I like it because I can set up a reminder whenever I want (usually 30 minutes before), so that I don't forget about events or plans. In my apartment, I don't stay that organized. I should probably try to be less messy.

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  20. I try to keep everything in its place most of the time. When something is moved for a purpose, I try to put it back as soon as I can.

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  21. I try to throw things out that I have not used in atleast 1 year, then I put things in different piles.

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  22. to get organized i put things away as soon as i get home, i love to be organized.

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  23. I try to stay organized by having small plastic bins!!!! It comes in handy!! I really love my bin I put my mail in and when its time to pay the bills I go through it and empty it out every week!!!

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  24. I stay organized by keeping a list and having daily list, I have a calender on the fridge I keep it there because it is wear I see/go first in the morning. I also try and limit clutter toss things out when done with them

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  25. I keep stuff in storage bins that are labeled. That way things are easier to see and find in the right container!

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  26. I love your blog just like it is! You did a super job with it!!

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  27. I keep organized by doing the same thing my mom always did. She had bins for everything and had them labeled. We each had bins for our backpacks and other supplies by our bedroom door. She also had hooks with our names on them to keep our hats, mittens and coats hung up.
    Laurie Emerson
    lauraemerson17 at yahoo dot com

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  28. I get organized by making lists. I like it when I check things off my lists! I also have running lists for recurring events like sports practices & travel!

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  29. We have a cubby system with baskets for toys that are labeled

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  30. I got a gift tower from harry and david last year..it came with lots of sizes of little boxes...I use them for all my bathroom items. Hair ties, q tips etc...I love them

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  31. I stay organized by keeping papers in folders, pens in a holder, and consistently clearing things off as I go along so it doesn't pile up.

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  32. Something that helps me is to put wastebaskets in every room of the house !

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  33. I have to write all our events down, otherwise I will forget or feel frazzled!

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  34. I love all the giveaways! Great blog!

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  35. I stay organized by making sure everything has a place.

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  36. I like the types of giveaways that you do!

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  37. I am not a naturally organized person so i have to really make an effort. I do what i can ahead of time - front load- and make a lot of lists and place them where i can see them.

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  38. I use my calendar on my phone and my Erin conrad planner.
    I label everything that I need to find on short notice, whether it be in the kitchen, living rm, and/or bathroom.

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  39. Our kids lay out their clothing for school the night before. They don't spend time in the morning deciding what to wear.

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