Can you believe it’s June? It has been a VERY LONG few months with Quarantine!  A typical summer I find parents fall into two camps. The ones that are running for the wine and beer, dreading the next three months and the ones that are excited to be spending the next few months with the kids.  This summer safety, health and providing some summer memories are the priority!  
I fall into the later. I love making memories. Trips to the pool, beach and museums. Time for projects. What I don’t enjoy though is the sibling rivalry and the ‘’I'm bored’ comments. To counter that, we spend time together planning out our ‘summer bucket list’. I ask each one what they’d love to do this summer. We put together a fun list of summer to dos. Our list usually contains a trip to the movies (or two), bowling, trips to the beach, kayaking, paddle boarding and at least one museum. We even include things like riding our bikes and blowing bubbles.

Check out this pin and this pin if you need some inspiration.

Saving memories from the school year
I am so amazed by all the work the kids complete throughout the school year. Now is the perfect time to go through the pile of work and create a system that works, especially if you find your pile is pretty high right now!

The kids and I go through all the school workbooks, notebooks folders and worksheets that come home and we pull out any written stories or favorite comments and then recycle the rest.  We take the saved sheets, report cards, certificates and memories and place them in a file folder and label the grade on it. We then store in a file box or small container.

It’s important to get your children involved, especially when it comes to which school art projects and papers to keep. They may not like the ones you do. Let them pick out their favorite artwork. It’s fun to frame the top pick and even frame and give away some of them to family members. Store the rest with the other items from the year. Switch out the artwork as often as you like. If this seems to daunting, I love this system. It enables you to keep your kids' precious artwork and school memorabilia from toddler to 12th grade organized (no more crazy piles!)

Keeping organized over the summer break
Keep a loose routine so the chaos doesn’t take over your home.  Have summer reading and chores done in the morning before camp or any play happens.  Keeping organized will help you make the most of the long summer days. And remember, take time to enjoy the birds chirping, the sun setting late, the kids creative playing and summer barbecues. 

If you need help with your school work papers or any organizing needs call for a free consult 

 We are on day 39 of quarantine inPennsylvania. Are you binge watching TV Shows, exercising, eating lots of carbs or trying to work and teach your kids school work at the same time! For me I am managing this time by doing virtual exercise classe, taking family walks, doing lots of games and puzzles with my family.  The most stressful part of my day is trying to teach my kids their school lessons fortunately the teachers have been amazing and have been doing video lessons which have been a great help! ​

The reality of the times can be very stressful with that can bring lots of clutter and lots of angst. 
It’s OK during a pandemic not to be very productive but at the same time you don’t want to hoard messes of trash recycling or clutter. Understandably it is very hard to day in and day out try to maintain the kids toys and have them pick it all up but in the same hand you don’t want to have a disaster zone of a playland all over your house this will only create more havoc and more stress for you. Maintaining a routine and having the kids participate in fun ways of cleaning up by putting some fun music on and setting a timer see who can clean up the fastest in five minutes in a certain area. Another idea is to throw hula hoop down around bunch of toys and whatever in the whole hula hoop has to be cleaned up. Another thing is making a basketball game into it putting your arms as a hoop and having the kids shoot Legos or toys into your arms the land right into the toy bin the other thing is creating a sticker chart kids love stickers and being able to get a sticker after they complete a task. Another idea would be to have two toys out and once they’re done with them they have to put them back before they can get any other toys out or once they’re done with the activity they need to clean up before they can move on to something else. This could help from a massive cleanup at the end of the day.

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We’ve been doing lots of cooking obviously all three meals and snacks I feel like my kids are having massive growth spurt‘s at this time and they’re constantly hungry and needing food all the time so trying to promote healthy nutritious snacks for our family makes us  go into our kitchen a lot.  With those many trips into the kitchen I noticed different kitchen utensils or dishes or appliances that need to be replaced or that could be just recycled or donated so while you’re in between trips to the kitchen waiting for something to be cooked look around up in a drawer do you really need 10 spatulas do you need six whisks or is the whisk really broken and just need to be thrown out. Do you use the breadmaker or do you use the 10 different ninjas? Think about those types of things while you’re in the kitchen and grab the appliance you don’t use or the a broken utensil and donate it or recycle it. This way little things like this will help do you declutter your kitchen. ​

 On those rainy days where you hear the constant I’m bored from the kids, I hear it too at my home! To stop the complaining is to play game of  empty the pantry and get rid of the foods that you don’t use or that will be expiring soon and you won’t eat it is to donate to food pantries.  Create systems that work for you if snacks or more important have them at easy access if you need to have them higher ups a little hands don’t keep constantly getting them, rearrange that. if you don’t feel like tackling the pantry you could also tackle say your cookbooks or the game closet these little things you could do there would take half hour on a rainy day or on any day.                

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​So how do you manage items you need to store? 

Yes, free boxes are appealing but are not good for long-term storage.  Preserve your memories—do not destroy them. You can’t imagine what I have seen being done to family heirlooms.  Think rodent destruction, standing water, and moisture from damp basements. 

My husband and I learned the hard way when a three-generation photo was destroyed by leaving it in the frame too long. The picture stuck to the glass, and we had to pay to get this photo restored. Things like this can be avoided by removing these pictures from frames and storing in proper photo boxes.  If these frames are no longer needed, just donate them.

Plastic storage is for long-term memories, pictures, family heirlooms, seasonal décor, and extra party supplies. Cardboard boxes allow dust and sometimes critters to get into these them. Make sure you label each container so it’s easily identified. 

Mapping out basement space

A room can have multiple purposes, especially the basement.  My basement has a TV section, which includes my son’s Xbox. Another part of the basement is an area for my daughter’s make-believe classroom where she can teach her dolls.  We store games and puzzles on the other side of the room. Another section in the basement is used for darts and other in-the-house games. 

The important part of having multiple functions in a space is to stick with the sections and not junk up the area with unnecessary things. If you have a workout area, keep workout equipment in an organized space.  Do you have a lot of weights, and do you have a weight stand? If the answer is NO, then use an empty bookshelf or shoe container. You can use a canvas bin or empty plastic tub for all the other loose equipment.  

What about a toy area? Don’t let the toys creep into the other sections of the basement.  Rotate toys to allow the new and exciting feeling to come out every three to six months. Create toy organizing systems like the child’s school for simple following through with clean up.  Have toy storage that works for the type of toys that your child plays with. Remember, if there is an overabundance of toys, the child will feel overwhelmed and not play with all the toys.​

Hello!

Are you ready for a five-minute challenge that could transform your home?
Yep, you read that correctly. In just five minutes, you can take one huge step in decluttering your home. Wanna know the best part? You can get the kids involved too!

You should be able to enjoy the items in your home without feeling bogged down by the clutter. And in five minutes you can create habits that will tidy your space and ease your mind!

Your home should be your sanctuary, a safe space where you can relax and get away from it all. But if you live in a space with no order, it can be difficult to actually unwind, even when you’re within the walls of your own home.

You should be able to enjoy the items in your home without feeling tense when you spot clutter. It’s about time to make space for the things you love!

Quickly glance at the surface areas in your home. Are there items that you like but don’t love? Do you have a beautiful picture of your family with no place to put it? Are all your surface areas covered with things?

Congratulations, you just conquered phase one of decluttering!
Now it’s time to put on some music, grab a box or a bag, and set your timer for five minutes.

Pick a room, look at the surfaces, and ask yourself this: 

• Do I use these items?
• Does this item work?
• Do I love this item?

If you answered no, it’s time to donate these items and let them go to someone who will make better use of them!

It’s not always easy to comb through your belongings, but when you have a common goal in mind, it makes it a lot simpler.

If you have a gift from someone you love, take a picture of the item and cherish the memory, not the item! Before you buy more ‘stuff,’ ask yourself, "will I use this?” And before you buy multiples of something, consider if you have a place to store them? Can you maintain them, and do you really need two?

The key to success is finding a home for the items that you love!

​- Schedule 5-10 organizing days on your calendar.

- Have an accountability partner.

- Work when you have the most energy.

- Don’t tackle the whole space. Tackle one pile or shelf at a time.
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Having a tween or teenager can be very stressful on many levels. This is especially the case when trying to keep them (and you) organized at home. What was once toys taking over all the space is now electronics and sporting equipment. What can you do to keep your house under control while raising tweens and teens?

Strategies to Use With Your Teen

I asked my sister, mother of two teens, for advice. She had two valuable insights:  

1.  Have open communication with your child about their clutter.
2.  Have a home for everything and minimize whenever you get the opportunity.

Open Communication

My son, now almost a teenager, is used to the regular decluttering sessions we do in his room, which includes the open communication of what works and what doesn’t. One struggle we deal relates to the laundry. He forgets to put away the clean clothes in the wash basket and then dirty clothes get thrown on top, making extra work for us.  Many times, this results in him having no clean clothes to wear to school. 

I don’t want to be overly involved in putting his clothes away, so I’ve learned to not worry about how he puts the clean clothes in his drawers. If he can’t find something, it’s on him. He is now realizing it’s better to roll the clothes so they fit better in the drawers. Finally, if he doesn’t put the clothes away when I ask him, then he loses his phone.  

Speaking of losing his phone, this consequence also occurs for other organizing matters. You would think that the home for his school bag and sporting equipment is right by the front door—but there is actually a place where he is supposed to put it. Instead, he comes home and just drops everything in front of the door. We’ve told him that we’ll only remind him once about putting them in the proper place. If he doesn’t do it, he loses his phone. This has worked for us most of the time, and he now has started to put these things in their proper place.

Proper storage solutionsIt sounds crazy, but more storage is key! You would think little kids need more storage and less when they get older, but that’s not the case. Older kids have books, slime, arts and crafts, electronics, make-up, hair products, and tons of clothes, shoes, hats, and purses that all need homes.

Think through what your tween or teen needs to keep their stuff organized and come up with systems that can keep your home tidy and clutter-free.

Why Is This Important?

Organizing is important to teach teens:

• Life skills
• A sense of respect to personal property
• Personal hygiene

10 Tips for Keeping Your Teen or Tween Organized

1. Talk to your tweens and teenagers and LISTEN to what they want and what doesn’t work for them.
2. Respect their things. Even if you don’t think it’s necessary to keep some things, they might have a different reason for keeping them. If they have a space for it, let it be.
3. Have a declutter session with your teen. Have them go through their things with you and throw away anything they say they no longer need or want.  Don’t give them the opportunity to change their mind. Have the trash bag handy, and as soon as you are finished, put the trash outside in trash cans. Put any clothes that they outgrew or that are no longer in style in a trash bag for donations. If there are any memories that they want to keep put them in a separate bin and properly mark them as memories.
4. Think vertical storage. This idea can free up space in a teen’s bedroom.
5. Use bins when possible. Bins can keep memories safe and can keep out-of-season clothes clean and neat.​
6. Label everything that you can.
7. Utilize a wall calendar to keep your teen’s schedule and due dates. Create reminder alerts in their cell phone calendar. Teach them to be prepared for the day. Create habits of packing school bags the night before. Have a designated place to do homework, where all the supplies are handy. Consider a floating desk in their bedroom.
8. Set boundaries for technology and have them turn it off when it will be distracting.
9. Set a good example with your own organizing skills and technology use.
10. Have a no food or drink rule in bedrooms to avoid unwanted messes. 

What is your word for 2020
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My word for the year is Growth
I am welcoming 2020 with open mind

I want to help more people, teach others, provide more resources and to have my blog reach many more people who struggle with clutter

Growth is not only for my business but for me personally!  One can never stop learning and growing especially when you have a soon to be teenager!

What is your word? My Goal for you in 2020 is Simplify

Start Simplifying 

No more resolutions:

• Set realistic and timely Goals
• Walk through the house make a list of what needs to be repaired painted moved are decorated. Prioritize the list and set a time frame.
• Don’t try To change too much at once. set one goal for the month

Start good habits

• its lack of sleep is a problem set a new bed time and wake up time create a sleep Journal
• commit to going through mail at least once a week using the one touch system throwing out junk mail and prioritizing the other pieces of mail
• put your merge and see paperwork important documents in a fire safe box
• at your computer up for automated remote backup

 
Start the year fresh

• put a charity box or bag on each floor your house drop unwanted items in the bag or box and once it's full drop off at donation center or arrange a pick up
• the magazine rack should get purged now and if you haven't read it by now you're not going to decide which subscriptions need to be cancelled
• winter is a great time to clean out the pantry and freezer by only the staple goods like milk eggs and bread for a few weeks in use up the other items

Hope this is a year where you accomplish all the goals that you genuinely care about. And if not, I hope you have the tools to step back and adjust accordingly!
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Don't Struggle we can help you out