7 Ways to Simplify Back-To-School
It is our goal to simplify fall 2021 and what better place to start then with the family routines!
A few intentional changes and you’ll see big results!
The alarms are set and the routines back in full swing! If you are like us you’re feeling the bittersweet feelings - summer is ending but daily normalcy is coming! But if we are being honest, fall brings its own type of crazy. School supplies, homework, deadlines, after school activities. It can quickly get overwhelming and its a topic that we talk about as a team often.
As you might imagine we’re on a mission to simplify not only our spaces, but our schedule as well. As we continued to talk about what that looks like, we came to these realizations:
1) No season will ever bring “normalcy”. Life shifts and we have to be ready to shift with it.
2) Other people are struggling with the SAME crazy routines and life demands! Together we can come up with some really great sustainable solutions that only require minor adjustments vs major overhauls! (Cue the hallelujah!)
3) Some basic organizational solutions and intentional actions can play a really big role in reducing stress
4) We’re not the only ones in this - our systems need to be set up to empower the entire household (yep, even as young as FOUR years old!)
The bottom line, Implementing Simplicity in our lives is a continuous and continuous activity requiring attention and flexibility as life continues to shift.
With that in mind, wee’ve gathered our teams favorite tips for making morning, afternoon and evening activities less chaotic and more productive.
Simplify your fall routines with these 7 tip from our Professional Organizers
Empower The Family
Our biggest win is enlisting the help of others in the household. We know… it really IS easier to do it ourselves. BUT, there are two goals here: 1) Making routines more efficient and 2) teaching our kids the life skills of simplifying and organizing.
Wether they are 4 or 40, we’re creating solutions that make it easy for EVERYONE to participate! As you are considering our tips and creating your own solutions, continue to ask yourself who will be using the space and how are they using the space.
Is there an activity that someone could be empowered to succeed in? Lunch prep, laundry, tidy up, getting dressed…
Secrets to success when empowering others:
LABEL
contain EVERYTHING
use age appropriate baskets and bins
take the time to teach
PRO TIP: Order custom vinyl labels from our favorite scripts by ashely
2. Prioritize a “Prep Day”
It’s critical that once a week we take time to look ahead. To tidy up from the previous week and prep the week ahead. We like to pick a day of the week and schedule the time because we’re just more likely to get it done when it’s a weekly routine.
Actions we like to do include:
Review paperwork and file or toss
Return miscellaneous items to their home or owner
Update the calendar
Get the house in order (no better feeling!)
The goal: being proactive to life rather than being reactive!
3. Create Zones
Zones: Areas of the home that make the most amount of progress in the least about of steps.
We create zones to ensure we’re able to complete an activity without moving all over a room. Putting all the items needed to complete an activity together in once spot. Examples include lunch prep zone, smoothie zone, entertaining zone, baking zones. Our list can go on and on! Click here to see more inspiration for zone planning.
When its comes to back to school, our favorite is a “Drop Zone”. A place to house items temporarily as you come and go.
PRO TIP: Short on space? Consider a wall near the garage door, a hall closet or the back of a door for a drop zone.
Inspired to add custom solutions? See what we did here.
4. Add a Donate Bin to every major space in the home.
No more mental or physical clutter from leaving things that are no longer needed. Remove unneeded items as soon as you identify them! We suggest adding a “donate” bin in closets, mudrooms, garages… anywhere items add up. Wether its removing the old can opener when you grab an upgrade at Target or pulling out clothes that are too small. Don’t wait!
As part of a monthly or seasonal routine you can gather from every donate bin at once and make a single trip to the donation center rather then multiple!
5. Keep it simple
Elaborate organizing solutions are the key to our hearts. And boy can they be pretty! But when we’re thinking about solutions to simplify… AND going back to the goal of empowering the household… sometimes less is more. Consider broader categories for spaces that others will be tasked with keeping up.
“Snacks” (vs “Goldfish”, “Pirates Bootie” etc)
“Small toys” (vs LOLs, Hathimals etc)
“Legos” (vs color coding)
When it comes to clothes and stuffed toys celebrate the success of getting them items in the proper homes (vs trying to color code and file fold).
Kids thrive off simple. The more they can succeed the more they are excited to stay on task. As they get older hone in on the categories and get more precise. As you teach them the basics… make it easy!
Need inspiration? Click here to see more ideas on toy storage.
6. Say “yes” to less
Feeling guilty about getting to it all? Or getting to it all but feeling drained? Its OK to let some things go! It’s a practice we run by each other all the time. What activities do I need to let go of?
Consider the letting go an investment into the activities you are intentionally giving your time and energy to.
7. Prep for the future
Rather than letting memories pile up consider a memory basket as well as large art portfolios for special items that come home. Make it a part of your weekly routine to determine what is a true memory and what can make it to the fridge only.
Click here to see how we installed memory solutions in the #gsmagicalmoss home tour.
