Time Organization for the Busy Family

Here are a few hints for managing time with a busy family:

• Post a family schedule where everyone can access it.

• Plan meals weekly and shop once. Consider doing some of your grocery shopping on line. Amazon.com is a good way to shop for staples and have them delivered to your door. Locally, you can order your groceries from Farm Fresh Internet Express (www.Farmfreshsupermarkets.com) and for a small processing fee; they will do your shopping and have it ready for you to pick up. You can even use their Internet Express feature to create your shopping list. It will print up with the items listed by aisle.

• Use a calendar with pockets for birthday cards, appointment reminder cards, etc. Avalanche Publishing (www.Avalanchepub.com) makes many versions that are available direct from the publisher or at Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s and Sam’s Club.
  
  
  Just a few simple timesavers can give you the time you need to get things done.
  
  Beverly & Kristen
  www.KeyTransitions.net

Neat Gift Ideas

If you are still looking for stocking stuffers and last minute gifts, here are a few items that will please the most fastidious gift recipient and help your disorganized friends bring a little order into their lives.

For the sleeping beauty who enjoys watching television in bed, there is the Remote Control Pillow. The cotton twill pillow measures 7” by 12” and has three pockets to store remote controls on the back. (about $18)

The do-it –yourself guy or gal will appreciate the Magnetic Wristband. The adjustable band secures a small magnetic tray that holds screws nails, pins, needles or any metal object. They can say good-bye to tiny sharp objects littering the floor. (about $19)

Help the pessimist in your life prepare for the worst with the Collision Preparedness Kit. The kit contains a disposable camera for documenting damage, a checklist of information to collect from the other driver and witnesses, an envelope for insurance and registration and a pen. It is all packed nicely in a zippered binder that fits in the glove compartment. (about $15)

Your forgetful buddies will be able to find their car in the parking lot with the Key Chain Pocket Recorder. The 1” by 3” key chain has a voice recorder that will allow them to note what they came to buy and the location of their car with one touch. The built-in flashlight will even help them find it in the dark. (about $12)

For the student in cramped quarters who needs his cell phone charged and ready, try the Cell Phone Shelf. It takes up no counter space. Simply plug in the charger and rest the phone on the shelf, which is available in red or chrome. (about $8)

The coupon clipper in your life will love the coupon holder that accommodates up to 150 coupons in 12 divided compartments. Its Velcro closure attaches to the shopping cart handle to make coupons more accessible when shopping. (about $5)

When those creative friends wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea, they will thank you for their Nite Note. This hand-contoured pad has a soft, focused light that turns on when the pen is removed. The “space pen” that accompanies it writes at any angle, even upside down. The package includes 72 note cards and 2 AA batteries. (about $30)

These items are available at many local novelty and department stores and at www.goldviolin.com

Happy holiday gift giving!

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize a Family Communication Plan

September is Emergency Preparedness Month. Are you and your family ready to deal with emergencies that might arise? Have you talked about how you will handle the need to evacuate or shelter in place? Do you have a communication plan in case you are not together when an emergency occurs?

If you live alone, consider whom you need to contact at the time of an emergency to make them aware of your whereabouts and your condition. An out of town contact who will most likely not be affected by the same emergency is a good choice. Make sure your contact has a list of local emergency responders in case he needs to make a contact for you. Be aware of the emergency policies at your place of work or on your campus and stay informed by listening to the media at the time of an emergency.

Families should also have a plan for communicating during an emergency. Since all family members might not be together at the time of emergency the plan should have a method of contact and a meeting site that everyone knows. Select an out of town contact for all family members to e-mail or call at the time of emergency. Local landlines and wireless connections might not be accessible during emergencies and other lines may be jammed, so caution everyone to be patient and continue to attempt contact. Make sure everyone has coins or a prepaid phone card for emergency use and a copy of the designated contact number in case memory fails. Identify a meeting place where you will gather if possible. Review what you will do in various situations and talk with each other about any concerns you have regarding emergencies.

Even children can understand emergency preparedness. The web site www.ready.gov has step-by-step instructions on what families can do to be better prepared and the role kids can play. Just click on Ready Kids for age appropriate information.

A communication plan is an important part of being ready should disaster strike.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

ORGANIZE A FAMILY COMMUNICATION CENTER

It’s baaack. That’s right, another school year is about to begin. Are you prepared to deal with schedules that accommodate scholastic happenings, sports and other extracurricular activities as well as scheduled health appointments and the fun stuff that goes with living with a family?

If you are one of those folks who never miss sending in a permission slip and who never spend a late night prompting a child to finish an assignment that is due the next day, then you have mastered the art of communicating and scheduling family activities. If, like most of us, you sometimes struggle with getting children to tell you what is coming up in their schedule or coordinating a host of family commitments, here a few hints to improve family communication.

You need to know what is happening. Make it easy for the family to leave papers to be signed, notes about activities and messages from teachers by creating a family mail station. Folder holders, cubbies or even large manila envelopes labeled with family member’s names can be placed at a spot where the family enters the house. Make it a rule to empty backpacks and place the communication in the appropriate “mail slot”. Permission slips and notifications go to Mom or Dad and reminders about dental appointments can go to Jimmy or Jenny. The other rule that needs to be enforced is for each family member to check his mail daily. It only takes a minute and once incorporated into the routine, becomes almost automatic.

Create a master schedule where everyone can see it. Make sure it is down low enough for the youngest family member to see. If children are pre-reading age, you might choose to use symbols to represent school, work, music practice etc. Your family can decide if one person will be responsible for maintaining the master schedule or if each person will enter his own activities. If each person enters his own information, consider making a rule that as soon as someone notices a conflict, he brings it to an adult family member.

Provide a spot to leave messages. You may choose a dry erase board, a magnetic board., black board tiles or a bulletin board. The important thing is that anyone can leave a quick note. “Please turn the oven on at 5:00” or “Tommy is coming over to work on project” or “What a great job picking up the family room!” or “Reminder: pick up milk”

Grouping the mail area, master schedule and a bulletin/dry erase board in an accessible area creates a family communication center that will aid in keeping chaos at bay.

Check out these websites for supplies for you family communication center.

www.bedbathandbeyond.com
www.harriettecarter.com
www.ikea.com
www.potterybard.com
www.officedepot.com


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Uncluttered With Children

“There is no way to have an uncluttered house with two little ones underfoot!” our young friend lamented. She was trying to get ready to have a meeting at her house and just could not imagine how she could get things picked up before the guests arrived. She was right. Without help, she could not get the family room organized in time for the meeting. So, together with another recruit, we succeeded in having the space presentable and the guests never suspected that we were hauling blocks up the back stairs as she was greeting them at the front door.

My friend has since adopted organization systems that are better suited to young families. Now, she can have the family room presentable for guests in 30 minutes or less. The secret is to:
Ÿ use storage systems that are accessible to the children who use them,
Ÿ establish rules for playing and returning items to their place,
Ÿ limit the number of play items, and
Ÿ select storage that hides content from view.

Storage systems that hide content from view include toy boxes, shelves with doors and baskets that fit in cubbies or tables. Even open baskets that group like items help give a more orderly appearance to a room. The most important thing is that the storage system is appropriate for the age of the child. A two-year-old cannot be expected to line books neatly on a shelf, but he can randomly place them in a basket. Children can also “help” pick up toys and put them in a box. Toy boxes can be wagon seats, covered ottomans or an oversized basket that fits under a table.

Children can begin from an early age to learn to pick things up before going outside, or going to bed. They can also understand picking up some toys to "make room” to play with blocks or use a riding toy. These simple rules set the groundwork for more extensive requirements as the child grows and takes responsibility for picking up his toys.

Some children have so many toys that even adults are overwhelmed at the array of choices. By storing some toys and rotating them in the play space, young children have a better opportunity to play with what is available without distraction. When interest in a toy wanes, retire that one for a while and bring out something new to delight the child. Older children can participate in the selection. For instance, you can agree to have only ten stuffed animals on the bed at a time. The rest can go to the “animal reserve” for a while. The “reserve” can be a display shelf, a box under the bed or one of a number of clever storage systems to house a stuffed animal collection that are available on-line.

Keep the systems accessible to the children who use them. Hooks should be placed no higher than the child’s shoulder level. Shelves should be low enough to reach without climbing and doors and lids should open easily and safely. The storage should be placed in the area where the child does the activity so he can easily get his things out and put them away.

Our friend adopted these suggestions and the next time she was called on to host a meeting, she gathered the family room clutter (mostly toys) with the help of her children and was ready in no time.

Living with children is a wonderful experience--made better by organization that makes life easier.

Take a look at these sites to find child-friendly storage systems:
www.potterybarn.com
www.kettler.com
www.target.com
www.constructiveplaythings,com
www.ikea.com

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

AVOIDING FAMILY ROOM CLUTTER TRAPS

The greatest challenge in managing clutter in the family room is_____?

You guessed it-the family!

The family room is a wonderful concept- a place the family members can gather for entertainment, conversation and enjoying each other. The reality can be something a little short of the ideal. It is hard to watch TV or play games if all available seating is covered with clutter. Empty food wrappers, discarded clothing and piles of toys detract from the ambience of any space. Many friends tell me they clean the family room every week just to find it in the same deplorable condition the following week- or maybe the following day. It can be so frustrating that it becomes accepted as a room that looks bad all the time.

Is there a remedy? Yes there is, but it is not easy because it involves group effort. If you want a permanent solution to a cluttered family room we recommend the following:

The next time you clean the room record what you pick up on a piece of paper or a voice recorder.

Take a look at the list for patterns. Does Dad leave his shoes under the couch? Does Suzy leave Pepsi cans on the coffee table? Does Junior scatter Legos all over the floor? Does Mom throw magazines on the floor next to her chair?

Think about reasonable suggestions for managing the clutter. Would Dad put his shoes in a shoe storage bench next to the couch? Would Suzy discard cans in a handy receptacle? Does Junior have a storage space for his Legos that he can reach and manage? Would Mom lay her magazines in a conveniently placed rack?

Hold a family meeting and talk about the things you pick up every time you clean the room. Be open to other family members input. Tell them some of the suggestions you have for making it easier to put things away and let them suggest other solutions that appeal to them.

Set the rules. Assign tasks according to age and ability. Purchase or make the suggested systems to keep things organized and the next time you clean the room discard or give away any item that is not in its designated space. If trash is the problem, the clutterer has a penalty of the family’s choosing.

Stick to the rules and hold another family meeting to see how the system is working. Revise what you need to make the system work for everyone, but do not let any family member abdicate his responsibility for keeping the room organized

Hold a special celebration after one month of successful clutter management.


These steps work for families of all ages and all sizes. If you cannot figure out how to get started on the organizing project, a professional organizer can be a great help in developing and implementing a plan.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net