Top Tips for Back To School Prep: The Ultimate Guide

August 17, 2017 by

Back To School Prep

We are half way into the summer already and my kids are excited about starting a new school year soon. I’m starting early to make sure that not only are the kids prepared but that I’m prepared as well! And luckily by starting a little early, I have time to get everything organized and ready for a smooth transition from summer to school.

Top Tips for Back To School Prep

  • Before the school year starts, prepare your bins, canisters, folders and more with these tips for back to school organization with sight words.
  • Meet the teacher before the school year starts, if possible. Since my daugther is going to a new preschool, we have a meeting scheduled to meet her new teacher before school begins.
  • First day of school pictures can be fun, but you may be putting your child’s safety at risk. Read about the back-to-school picture no-nos before snapping those pictures.
  • Preschoolers with first day jitters will love reading these encouraging books about the first day of preschool.
  • Check out these 10 Tips for Starting Kindergarten if your little one is making the transition from short preschool days to the longer days for kindergarteners.
  • Does your child require vaccinations before starting school? Help them cope with these five tips.
  • Make a back to school bucket list to remind you to review important things with your child, such as a safety plan, how to make friends, and refreshers on concepts learned in the previous year.
  • Do you normally have trouble getting into a good routine? You’re not alone! Here are 10 tried and true back to school routine tips.
  • Bedtime routines can be particularly difficult for children who are attending school for the first time this year.
  • It’s easy to get out of practice with reading and writing, but these free resources can get your child back into the swing of things before school starts.
  • If your children will be walking to or from school, now’s the time to nail down the safest, quickest route.
  • Start some fun back to school traditions this year. Start thinking about which ones you’ll implement now.
  • Your children will have less time for chores now, but that doesn’t mean they should forgo them altogether. Here are some before and after school chore charts to help your kids nail down a good routine.
  • Prepare a homework station with pencils, paper, crayons, highlighters and anything else your child needs to focus on homework.
  • Start a cute back to school countdown to get your kids excited about the upcoming school year.

Finally, don’t forget to label all the things! Whether your kid is going into preschool (like my youngest) or heading off to college, it’s always helpful to have a pack of personalized labels on hand. Right now Oliver’s Labels is excited to introduce their new Shopkins™ line of labels now available in their Special Edition design category.

The official launch of this new line is on Tuesday, August 22nd as part of their annual Back-to-School 15% off sitewide sale (excluding gift cards), however, this week only our readers get to enjoy an exclusive offer just for you! 

Use promo code ACraftySpoonful before checkout to SAVE 20% on Shopkins™ design themes! Offer valid Aug. 15th – 22nd.

You’ll love the bright and fun labels available! There are so many great features and options such as:

  1. Don’t lose another jacket to the lost and found bin! Fun new designs encourage your kids to label all of their items so they don’t lose anything when it’s taken out of the home. Have a Shopkins™ fan at home? Let Cheeky Chocolate, Kooky Cookie, D’lish Donut, Strawberry Kiss, and Apple Blossom help keep your child’s belongings out of the lost-and-found bin.
  2. Found-It Lost & Found Code: Found-it™ is Oliver’s Labels FREE online lost and found system. When you choose to add Found-it™ to your labels, we print them with your very own unique I.D. If your item is reported found, we send you a notification email right away. Oliver’s Labels acts as an intermediary between you and the person who has found your item.
  3. They have a school package! Everything you need for back to school all in one place! The School Package features: 20 x Original Labels, 30 x Mini Labels, 6 x Shoe Labels, 1 x Large Bag Tag, 3 x Mini Bag Tags, and 35 x Stick-eez™ Clothing Labels.

How do you prepare your kids for heading back to school?

If your child is starting Preschool or Kindergarten, check out these great ways to prep before you begin! 

(just click on the photo)

5 Back to School Tips for Preschool Parents

Preparing for Kindergarten with Preschoolers

5 Back to School Tips for Kindergarten

 

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , , , , ,

10 Tips To Teach Children The Basics of Organization

January 6, 2017 by

These 10 tips to teach children the basics of organization can help get your kids to start picking up after themselves and stop leaving messes all over the house. 

10-tips-to-teach-children-the-basics-of-organization

Teaching your child how to organize can be comparable to brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. As much as parents like to do things themselves, there comes a point where children must learn to do things on their own. And now is about the time that my kids need to start picking up after themselves and learning how to keep their areas organized. 

After two weeks home with the kids and little messes made in every.single.room of the house over the holiday break,  I was done. And at one point I’m pretty sure I grabbed a big black trash bag and threatened to pick up everything I see on the ground and give it away. Mama was over it. And the kids picked up on that. 

Our house is set up so that our children can let their inner creativity shine. BUT at 6 and 7 years old I think they’re old enough to start learning how to start organizing their things. Putting stuff away once they are done using them so that they’re not in every corner of our home. Or so that they don’t end up in a pile on their bed or bedroom floor. 

Starting with the basics is one way to help your child learn how to organize. And that’s exactly where we’re starting. 

10-tips-to-teach-children-the-basics-of-organization-before-and-after

10 Tips To Teach Children The Basics of Organization

#1. Simplicity

Teach your child that organization doesn’t need to be complicated. Organization should be used as a tool to make everything simpler.

#2. It Takes Time

One thing a child should know about organization is that it takes time. Even the most basic forms of organization will take some time.

#3. Limits

Your child should know that to be successful in organization there has to be limits put on things. You can’t collect every single paper you bring home from preschool.

#4. Donations

It’s amazing how much one person can collect overtime. Teaching your child the basics about donations will help them learn about organization. They should know that when a person has extra of something, it’s okay to donate to someone else less fortunate.

#5. Bring one in Take one Out

One rule a child should know about organization is the value of doing it “as you go.” If you buy something new and bring it home, then the rule is that something else has to leave. Learning to let go of items can be a hard lesson.

#6. Everything Has a Home

I think one of the most valuable lessons a child can learn in organizing is that everything has a home. You don’t need to leave everything out on the floor, simply put it away. When everything has a home the basics of organization seem pretty simple.

#7. Teamwork

Teach your child that it’s okay to ask for help when they need it. Sometimes organizing can be incredibly overwhelming. Teaching your child to ask for help is a tip they’ll need to carry with them for a long time.

#8. Know Their Limits

A child should be taught the basics of organization, but there is no need to be incredibly pushy about it. There should be a happy medium between proper organization and overzealous organization. 

Your child doesn’t need to spend every waking moment organizing their room. Have your child set a 15 minute timer for their organizing time. When that time is over, they get to take a break.

#9. Prioritize

Organizing can be overwhelming because sometimes there’s too much to do and not enough time. Teach your child how to prioritize one task over another. For example—The floor needs cleaned up before you can sweep.

#10. Get Creative

There are no rules to organizing. One family’s idea of organizing is different than another. Teach your child the basics behind organizing and they should be good to go. Also teach them that getting creative with the resources is a smart move. For example—You don’t need to go out and buy organizing items, you can use what you have at home. Use a milk crate for a toy box and etc. 

10-tips-to-teach-children-the-basics-of-organization-folding-clothes

Try to refrain from getting frustrated or yelling when you’re teaching your child about organizing. Children should grow up to love this sort of exercise, not grow to hate it.

How do you get your kids involved in the organization process? 

Filed Under: For the Home, Organization, Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

5 Ways To Help Children Get Their Bedroom Organized

June 20, 2015 by

5 Ways To Help Children Get Their Bedroom Organized

Is your child’s bedroom an unorganized mess every time you walk in? Well, if your children are old enough, it may be time to help them learn how to organize their bedroom.

Last year I shared how we get the kids involved in cleaning. And organizing isn’t that much different. Once your kids have mastered cleaning their rooms, learning how to organize will make keeping their rooms clean much easier.

Check out these five ways in which you can help your children get their bedroom structured and under control.

Kids Cleaning Tips - finding easy tasks

5 Ways To Help Children Get Their Bedroom Organized

#1. Bins & Baskets

In my opinion, you can never have too many bins or baskets in a room. As long as there is a place to store these bins and baskets, you are good to go. These contraptions can be stored under beds, in closets, and even on dressers. You can label each bin and basket, so your child knows exactly where everything goes.

#2. Get Rid of Excess

I believe that children learn how to part with things, if their parents teach them well. You can help your child get their bedroom a little more organized by helping them to learn to part with toys that they’re no longer using. Teach your children to always be in the process of getting rid of items that are no longer needed.

#3. Hands & Knees

You may never truly see what your child sees unless you are on your hands and knees. Don’t be afraid to get a child’s eye view of their bedroom this way. You may understand why their room is dirty or unorganized, if you see it from their point of view. Plus, this will help you come up with ideas to help them get a little more organized. Maybe their shelves are too high for them to reach or their drawers are hard to open. If we expect our kids to be a little more organized, then we have to make it a little easier for them.

#4. Always Involve the Child

Making your child leave, while you clean their room teaches them nothing. You must always involve your child in the organizational process, if you want them to learn how to get their bedroom organized. Although this process might take a lot longer, you’re teaching your child a lot during the organizational process. Plus, they are going to appreciate your hard work a lot more if they see what you’ve put into it.

#5. Organize from Top to Bottom

What does this mean? Well, to keep things organized in your child’s bedroom the organizational layout needs to make a little more sense. All toys and things they need to reach should be on the bottom and other items (they don’t need) should be higher up. For example—if you still pick out your child’s clothing, then hanging them up on the highest rack is okay. You can also place items that are not as frequently used on the top shelves, to help eliminate clutter and the temptation to drag out unneeded items.

Organizing your child’s bedroom doesn’t need to be a complete nightmare. Just remember to keep up with the clutter and to always keep things simple. The more items you have in your child’s room, then the harder it will be to organize it.

Filed Under: For the Home, Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Spring Cleaning Tips With A Little Help

March 4, 2015 by

Spring Cleaning Tips

Being a mom of three has proven one thing… we have too much stuff. No, seriously. Between the baby’s items, the toys, and the clutter everywhere else I feel as if our house is just bursting at the seams. And we already moved to accomodate our expanding family!

So what can we do besides move? Organize. [Read more…]

Filed Under: For the Home, Organization, San Diego, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Tips to Clear Out The Clutter with Close5

January 9, 2015 by

This post featuring tips to clear out the clutter is sponsored by Close5. All opinions are my own.

Tips to Clear Out The Clutter with Close5

If your house is anything like mine after the holidays then you’ll know why I’m at my wits end trying to get rid of the bomb that exploded Christmas day. While we didn’t go overboard for Christmas, the few things we did bring into the house are just enough to leave our house in a constant state of clutter.

So what’s a 36 week pregnant mom to do? Purge, purge, purge!! 

And with the help of a few tips I have, I’ve been able to do just that. Just in time to try and find out where we’re going to put all of this new baby stuff… [Read more…]

Filed Under: For the Home, Organization, Technology, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Car Care: Tips to Keep Your Car Organized

November 21, 2014 by

We’re sharing tips on how to keep your car organized using Rubbermaid Backseat Mobile Organizer products from Walmart, as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars #WalmartAuto

Tips to Keep Your Car Organized - if you have little kids, you know how messy they can be! Here are some tips to help. #WalmartAuto

Before having kids I had no clue that car care would completely change once the little ones arrived. Now that my kids are older I’ve started to realize why cars are now coming out with vacuums built into them. OMG these guys are messy!

Luckily there are some great solutions to keep your car organized and make sure that the “stuff” that kids bring in either find a home or find their way back out of the car.

I’ve come up with a few tips to make sure this happens in our family car. And I’ve made sure that the kids are involved every step of the way. I mean it is mostly their mess we’re organizing so it’s only fair!  [Read more…]

Filed Under: For the Home, Life, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Back to School Organization with Sight Word Ideas

August 19, 2014 by

Check out these sight word ideas for back to school organization. A great way to help kids get organized and learn their sight words! 

Back to School Organization with Sight Word Ideas - organize your homework area and help your child recognize sight words

With my son going into Kindergarten in two weeks exactly, I wanted to spruce up the homework station I created for him to be more kid-friendly. Since he’ll be learning a few sight words this year I thought I’d help him out by labeling all of the organizational bins I have in his homework station with the name of what’s in the bin.

I didn’t want anything too boring like a printed label though. I wanted bright signs that would grab my son’s attention so I headed over to Staples to grab some fine point and extra fine point Sharpie markers.

If you know me you know I can’t resist a good sale on school and office supplies. So when I was our Sunday paper with my husband and ran across the Staples ad I got excited when I saw that Sharpie markers were on sale! I couldn’t stock up fast enough.

Back to School Organization with Sight Word Ideas - supplies

After a quick shopping trip, I had all I needed to start organizing my son’s homework station.

When shopping around Staples I found some great items to help me with my project. Here’s what I ended up picking up:

  • 12 Sharpie® Fine Point Permanent Markers 
  • 12 Sharpie® Ultra Fine Point Permanent Markers 
  • Sharpie highlighters
  • Book rings
  • Index cards

Back to School Organization with Sight Word Ideas - cut index cards

Once I had all of my supplies I got to work! Wanting to keep things simple so that my son could help me, I simply cut the index cards in half and used each half as a label.

Then I wrote down the name of what was in each bucket in his homework station so that I could label them.

Back to School Organization with Sight Word Ideas - make labels

Once I had all of the labels written out I let my son hole punch the labels and put the book rings through the hooks.

Then I grabbed the bins with holes and let him clip them on. Once those were up we taped the labels to the bins without holes.

Back to School Organization with Sight Word Ideas - punch holes in cards

The whole project took less than 30 minutes and already my son is asking me what each bin says. He can’t wait for kindergarten (and neither can I)!

I just know that this next year will bring a lot of change. I’m just glad I can provide him a space to do projects, create, and work on homework with me near by.

With the help of awesome deals at Staples, our Homework Station is now 100% complete for the school year! And my son will start learning a few new sight words.

Back to School Organization with Sight Word Ideas - labeled bins

Do you use sight words around the house for your child?

Love this post? Find more back to school ideas: 

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Filed Under: Crafts/DIY Tagged With: , , ,

How to Create a DIY Homework Station for Less

July 31, 2014 by

Creating a DIY homework station isn’t hard. In fact, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it! This post featuring a DIY homework station is brought to you by Dollar Tree.

How to Create a DIY Homework Station for Less

With my son starting kindergarten in September and the horror stories I’ve heard of the piles of homework that now get sent home with kindergartners I thought it’d be a good idea to create an easy DIY homework station for him to do his work and projects.

Since we now have an office in the new house I made sure to include a desk space in there for him to share with me and his father. Then we got to organizing and finding storage. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crafts/DIY, For the Home, Organization Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tips for Organizing Holiday Decorations

January 18, 2014 by

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Brother P-touch. I received a product samples to facilitate my review and promotional item as a thank you for participating.

tips for organizing holiday decor
I’m a crazy person when it comes to holiday decorations. I love being able ot fill the house with fun reminders of the holidays coming up and enjoy making and purchasing holiday decor. The one thing I don’t like? Organizing holiday decorations.

So when I received my Brother P-touch PT-H100 label maker a few months ago I knew the one project I needed to tackle after the holidays was to organize my holiday decor. And that includes big and little holidays.

Because when I head out to the garage to grab the next holiday’s bin, I don’t want to see Christmas in the Valentine’s & Easter box. Because next Christmas I’ll be wondering where the tree skirt went. [Read more…]

Filed Under: For the Home, Holidays, Organization, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Organization Ideas: How to Organize Your Christmas Presents

December 14, 2013 by

 I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Brother P-touch. I received a product samples to facilitate my review and promotional item as a thank you for participating.

How to Organize Your Christmas PresentsAbout two weeks before Christmas I start to panic. Wondering if I’ve purchased for everyone on my list, if I’ve picked the right things. And if the things I purchased for both of my kids were “fair” in that the number of presents opened seem to be the same. So I decided this year that I’d figure out out. And I’ve come up with a solution on how to organize your Christmas presents.

I followed a few simple steps, made sure to stick with my plan, and successfully kept track of all of my purchases. I surprised myself and my husband with my organization.

Lucky for my I also just received a Brother P-Touch label maker and worked on organizing my office. So using the label maker to help organize my purchases for Christmas just made sense. Below are a few tips on how you, too, can help organize your holiday purchases. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, For the Home, gifts, Holidays, Organization, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,


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