Storing Kids' Artwork

Check out: http://www.schoolfolio.com/

My Humble Opinion on Toy Gifts

Nowadays kids are bombarded with toys, gadgets and other material possessions a few times a year, from well-meaning family members and friends. Meanwhile, they're left with no choice but to cram this growing pile of goods into a single room - the same room where they are also expected to sleep, play, read, change, do homework and so on.

I suggest asking for gifts of experience. Something like, "Dad, Ariel really enjoyed seeing the Nutcracker with you last year. She didn't stop talking about it for a month, she loved it so much! I think she would enjoy a gift of an experience with you much more than another toy" will usually do the trick.

After all, kids will remember the time you spent with them long after the barbies and MP3 Players are gone.

On Working with Kids

Think back to when you were a kid, and your parents said "Get in there and clean your room!". Chances are, by the time they got around to telling you to clean your room, they were already frustrated and your room was a disaster. You were suddenly under a lot of pressure and probably didn't even know where to start.

I love working with kids and teaching them how to keep their rooms tidy and organized. Kids don't have all the preconceived notions that adults do, so it's easier in some ways to get them to learn new ways of dealing with their belongings. I get to play fun organizing games with kids, and I get to be that third party that reinforces what you've been saying all along, but from a neutral standpoint.

The other side of that coin is that what is obvious to you and I, may not be obvious to kids because they don't have the foundation of experience that we do. So I talk a lot when I work with kids. I talk them through very basic organizing principles until I'm sure they get it. Kids also tire and get bored faster, so the sessions tend to be shorter (2+ hours, generally).

After I help my young clients sort, purge, and assign spaces for their stuff, I tell them that I'm going to show them tricks on how to make their room look tidy for mom and dad without spending a single second more than they have to. This leaves them with a sense of control, and makes way for the fun chore game of beating their own record.

Storing Tupperware

To store tupperware, I recommend pulling all of it out of the cabinet, matching the lids with containers, and tossing any mismatches. Next, nest the round pieces with round, and square with square. Last but not least, install one of these handy pull-out lid organizers in the cabinet, keeping round lids with round and square with square:

http://www.taylorgifts.com/prodetail~itemno~8808~src~NEXTAG46&srccode=cii_9324560&cpncode=07-34642385-2&.asp

Organizing Your Linen Closet

To keep linen closets organized, fold one matching sheet set at a time and fit the whole set into one of the pillow cases. This saves you from having to dig through several stacks of linens, to find a matching set. Your linen closet will stay neat and tidy, and it will be easier for kids to make thier own beds, too.

Designate one shelf or section for each kind of linen and educate everyone in the house about the way you've organized it.

Any sheets, towels and blankets you haven't used in over a year can be turned into cleaning rags, or donated to your local animal shelter.

Building a Filing System, Part 2

Now that you're ready to make your files, pick up one of your stacks, say Insurance. Label the tab on a hanging folder (like this one)



http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=810929&Nr=200000&N=201618&An=browse



with the word "Insurance". Next, using a sharpie (for increased visibility), label the tab of a manila file folder (like this one)



http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=698710&Ntt=manilla%20file%20folder&uniqueSearchFlag=true&An=text



for each, specific kind of insurance represented in the stack, such as car insurance, liability, etc.



Do this with each stack of paper until all stacks are neatly organized in their respective file folders, which are now in their corresponding hanging folders.



Next, you'll need to hang your files in alphabetical order, or in the order that makes most sense for your thinking style.