Back to School - Get Prepped!

It's almost back to school! Take a night to have kids try on clothes. Make it fun- 


smaller kids can have a fashion show...craziest outfits! You just want to see what 


fits and what you need to buy, alter, mend. Have older kids decide what they will 


or won't wear this year. No point taking up space in the closet for something that 


will never leave it! And don't forget the shoes!!!!

Greeting Cards

It's so great to receive a card, who doesn't love that? Always brings a smile to this gal. But if you've saved every card you ever received, it's time to think about letting them go. Grandma won't mind if you don't keep the card she sent you on your 5th birthday - I promise. I know, you think you're going to cozy up one rainy day with hot cocoa and a blanket and re-read those cards. Guess what? That's never going to happen! Too harsh? Ok, how about you go through that giant stack, box, chest of cards and pick out a couple that really are meaningful. Maybe somebody made it for you or wrote a really beautiful note. Then, sure, that might be a keeper. Now, where are you keeping it? If it's in a box in a closet, it's not going to make you smile. Put it in a frame or display it some place that you'll see it everyday...and smile. If it's special, treat it like it's special.  Now for the others...if you can't get rid of all the Number One Mom cards, how about scanning them? Now you can put them on your desk top in a slide show that can remind you all day long that you're a super mom! Oh, what's that, a smile? Make sure to recycle or find someone who'll use those old cards. During specific times of the year St. Jude's collects the front of greeting cards and the kids use them to make their own cards and earn some pocket money...try it, and pass along that smile. : )
www.stjude.org

Time for the Pantry!!

Time for the pantry!! Empty the cabinets- Keep like with like, baking supplies, soups, condiments so it's easy to find. Get rid of expired items, or open items you are no longer using.  Donate what you and your family won't use, be honest - if nobody likes sardines..why do you have three cans?? Right? Take the time now to wipe it clean. You want to be able to see and find everything that you have. Keep snacks down low and easily accessible so you know who isn't tearing through the pantry! And stick to the one in, one out rule!  Establish limits for how much your pantry can hold. Once you do this, you must use something before you can buy another. If you go shopping once a week- you really only need a weeks worth of an item. No cramming items in- remember- you want to see what you have! You'll save time and money at the market when you are only buying what you need- no roaming the aisles and no duplicates!

It's in the Storage Closet so I can't get to it...

Okay, so we've all tucked something away for the long haul and cringed when we actually needed it.  How many times have you been so excited to pack for a vacation but waited for somebody to dig the suitcases out of the attic, garage, storage closet?  How about that punch bowl you would love to use but by the time you find it...?  Honestly, it happens to all of us at one point or another. My client, owner of the fantastic closet below was ready to break this routine, so she gave us a call.  She has this great closet but as you can see it was difficult, if not impossible, to  get to anything. Those are Christmas decorations tucked way back there...perfect for the rest of the year but absolute misery for the client when she was getting ready to decorate. By the time she dug those out, nobody was feeling super festive. We set to work emptying everything out of the closet and my awesome client decided what she really wanted to keep and what could be donated.  It's important to be ruthless with these choices because these items are taking up a lot of great space.  My client focused on how she wanted that closet to function. She wanted a path the whole length of the closet and she kept that path in her mind as she decided what was important to her and what could go.  I think she did a fantastic job! I know, if it's in a storage closet, what's the big deal?  Let's discuss that the next time you need that suitcase! ; )