Organizing Sports Schedules

The Sports season is upon us…how do you organize your schedule with sports?  Or do you?

So it is not hard enough to deal with the crazy mornings before school?  But we can have equally if not more hectic schedules after school.

Homework
Dinner
Sports Practices
Piano Lessons
Family time

Our time after school has turned into homework, sports practices and trying to squeeze dinner in there somewhere.

My two older boys aren’t a problem…they are on self sufficient mode. T who is a senior has band after school, then does his homework (of which there “is no homework mom”….yeah sure.) and then takes off on his bike (small town) to hang out with his friends.

D who is a junior has band, then runs in after band…grabs something to eat and takes off to teach karate at the karate school. He is also working towards his 3rd degree black belt.  I’m not sure when he is doing his homework, but I assume in the evening. He is a straight A student taking honors classes.

The triplets… the week we have them, I pick them up after school. We come in and they work on their homework if they have any. They are in 4th grade. One of them takes a little longer working on things and needs a little more repetition getting concepts down…so usually I work with him some. Then I have to get them something to eat..basically a dinner at about 4:30.  The boys have football at 5:30 – 8:00 2-3 nights a week and E has karate every night other than Friday and Sunday. (They are free to go as many nights as they want..but she wants to go and as long as you pay monthly and not per class…we figure lets get the most out of our money)  But she and her brothers are on what is called the XPT team …they are more advanced and use weapons and do demos places.  Right now they are purple belts.

On the night that they boys don’t have football they do karate.  Crazy huh?   Oh …and since my hubby is assistant coach on the football team, the week we don’t have the kids, he still picks up the boys and takes them to football and is gone those evening…and then the games are on the weekends.

One of the advantages of having triplets is that you can request them (the boys) to be on the same teams!  So at least we don’t have the problem many families do with different teams.  When E did cheer leading (all 3 years since Kindergarten..but she wanted to concentrate on karate this year) we did have that problem. She would be cheering at other games the same times the boys played. I would take her.

So…now that you have read the craziness of our household you might be wondering why the heck I am mentioning all this stuff.  I just want to let you know that I UNDERSTAND!!  LOL  The sports schedules we have no control of.  They can be crazy…. pictures were supposed to be the last 2 Saturdays but because the kids jerseys weren’t done…they got cancelled at the last minute.

So what do you do to keep the Schedules Organized?

All we can do is plan the best we can. Make a schedule for homework and dinner.  But realize that those might change and be flexible.

Make meals that can be eaten anytime (crock pot is great) or something that can heat up easily..that is the least amount of stress.  It is important to try and eat together as a family…but we different schedules sometimes that can’t happen every night.  So my suggestion would be to make that family time in the evening before bed…instead of watching TV.

School work is first priority. One of the triplets did not go to karate last night because we had work that he was not understanding and needed some extra time with.  I started working with him, but when DH got home from work then he took over and I took the other 2 kids to karate.  Yes…there were some tears, but we explained he wasn’t being punished…but school comes FIRST.

DH said he will be there early enough today today to pick them up from their moms before FB to make sure he has his school work done before he lets him go to FB practice.

Tell me your crazy schedules!  What are some things you do to keep life calmer during sports practices at your house?

Organizing Kitchen cupboards

Don’t you wish you had more cupboards in your kitchen?

I know I sure do! Insert SlideDeck So how do you organize those kitchen cupboards when you  have a small house with 7 people living in it? Believe me….I know it isn’t easy!   This cupboard looks ok now….but you should see it if one of the kids or my hubby puts dishes away.  The bowls aren’t stacked anymore….you might have that big yellow one on top of the smaller ones.

On the left…forget putting the lids in the slots they are supposed to be in and the plastic containers were they go. Aren’t you supposed to just throw them in that side?

Organizing can be really hard to maintain, especially if others aren’t as on board as you. It is all about the maintenance, but we aren’t going there today…today we are just talking about some ways to try and organize those cupboards.

Baskets

I love using baskets in cupboards.  You can see the red ones up on the upper shelf.  That is a hard place to get to things and it is a narrower shelf, so it doesn’t hold as much.  Those baskets hold the other plastic containers and lids that you accumulate.  They make it very easy to pull the basket out and get to what you want. They help keep things confined so that it isn’t falling all over your cupboard…and they are inexpensive!

Do you use it?

If you find there are things in your cupboards that you haven’t used in ages ….or you don’t have a lid for it and because of that you don’t use it (and you will!!) then get rid of it.  Why should you use that precious space on items you don’t use anymore?  The general rule is if you have not used it for a year or more then get rid of it.

Organizing kitchen cupboards isn’t necessarily hard to do.  But keeping it that way can be what is hard for many.

PileSmart Desktop Organizers

Help for the Those Paper Piles!

Does Your Desk Look like this …or worse?
Piles of papers can get overwhelming…and things get lost in them! I think most all of us tend to stack the mail and make piles. The problem lies in what you do with those piles.

There are vertical drawer files, vertical desk top files…but for some people – those just don’t seem to fit their style. They want to pile.
Pendaflex has come up with an answer for the pilers! It is their desk top filer and it is piling! The PileSmart® Desktop Organizer Tray! There are dividers that you can label to divide your piles and make some sense of what you have.

I think it looks great. You can label the tabs and they are erasable. They are sturdy enough that you just left them up easily to slide your papers under. The PileSmart® Desktop Organizer Tray is made of durable acrylic and is slightly slanted towards the back corner to keep your papers looking neat.

This is that same pile of papers afterwards. Looks much better than that pile doesn’t it? I didn’t label the tabs, because I haven’t fully decided how I am going to use this….but I did want to show you what it looks like.

Here are the PileSmart View Folders with Write on Tabs

These are pocket folders that are open on the side to make sliding in things very easy. You can also use these in the trays if you would like.

Then check out these cute clips! The PileSmart® Binder Label Clips can clip together your documents quickly and see what they are at a snap. You can write on the plastic label’s with a pen.

You can find all of these products online.

1. PileSmart® Desktop Organizer Tray
-Buy Online Now

2. PileSmart® Binder Label Clips
-Buy Online Now

3. PileSmart® View Folders with Write-On Tabs
-Buy Online Now

Using Baskets to organize office supplies

Re-purposing a bookshelf in a closet is thinking outside the box.

This picture is actually looking into a closet.  I had a challenge with a client. Organize all these office supplies.  There was a small closet in the room and a bar across it and a couple of little shelves that had been left by a previous owner. There was no need for clothes for this office….and I wanted to utilize this space.

The client had  this bookshelf that wasn’t being used.  I did all the measurments before I had it moved into the room.  It was going to fit! I was So excited!

Now for the containers.  I wanted to use a clear plastic so that you could easily see what was in them.  I measured the shelf height and length to make sure I could get the most use out of the space…knowing I was buying the right size baskets or plastic boxes.

If you notice I have the lids off the boxes.  It would look very nice and neat to have them on, but would things get put back as easy if you had to lift a lid to do it?  This was a place that I could leave them open and easily accessible.  But….I did put the lid directly under the basket so that you don’t have to worry about losing them…and they are there if you want to use them.

Is the Organizing Fairy coming to Your House?

Excuses don’t get the work done but the Organizing Fairy can right?

(You can’t see a fairy’s face you know….they won’t come to visit if you see their face….don’t you know anything?  Duh? lol)

I know..I know…we all wish we had one (I do too some days….although I would much rather have a cooking & cleaning fairy). But unless we do have an organizing fairy…guess what? The job still needs to get done.  Unless you always want to be living in a messy zone.  So even though we can have a zillion excuses….we still need to find a way to get the job done.

I know…that is the yucky part right?  So the question now is..how?

The first Step is schedule the time to do it. Get out that calendar.

I know it would be wonderful if we could add 4 hours to each day in order to get more done….but unfortunately life doesn’t work that way.

Block out a couple hours in your schedule a few times a week.  If there is a way you can devote several hours to get started…that would be wonderful, but if not – do what you can.

Maybe turn off the reality show (DVR it!) and use that time if you work during the day.
It might have to be after the kids are in bed if you can’t get anything accomplished while they are up.
It might be that you need to bring in a babysitter for a few hours or have in in-law watch them.

It is all about priorities. If this is a priority to get done in your life, then you need to put it on as a priority in order to get it done.

Moving Hosting Sites

It is possible this site might be down for a bit in the next 2-3 days. I am transferring hosting sites. The other blogs will follow soon…
Thanks
Sandy

Preparing for Medical Emergencies

There are no warnings for medical emergencies

So how do you plan for an medical emergency ahead of time?  Well, you don’t necessarily plan for the actual event…but there are things you can do that can help during a medical transition.

Medications

First thing I am going to go over with you is having a list of everyone’s medications…including doses and concentrations with you.

When I answer phones in triage at the pediatricians office I work at, I can’t tell you how many people have no idea what medicines their children are on. They tell me to look it up in their chart.  Of course I can do that….but as a parent ….YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!

The same goes for your spouse. Know what medicines he or she takes daily. Know the dose …if you can’t remember them …write them down and keep them in your purse.  Or you can keep a running list in your smart phone.  Easy to change and update….easy to access.

Allergies

Make sure you know what allergies your children and your spouse have. If there are medications they are allergic to…KNOW THEM.  If you can’t remember….again keep a list in your purse or wallet …or you can have them in your smart phone.

Immunizations

This is the other item you need to know.  I had to answer when Dave’s last tetus was. I actually had to call my office yesterday and have one of my Dr. check my chart. Yes we are a peds office…but I keep an employee chart for myself. I also keep my hubbies info in there for an easy reference. Since I didn’t follow my own advice that I am giving …(I’ll admit it….)  I had to call and ask when his last tetanus was. I knew it was in the last 5 years…but I wanted to know for sure. I found out it was in 2008 and he did not need another one at the ER.

But this is something that you really should have available. All those school forms and camp forms you have to fill out.  You can be putting in those dates yourself when you send them to the Dr. office (we LOVE that!!)…then all we have to do is get the Dr. signature.  But it is great information to have at your fingertips and you will be amazed at how often it will come in handy.

Be prepared….hopefully you will never need the information for an emergency room….but you will be ready if you do.

Teenage Rooms – Where to start?

Usually the first step is to find the floor!

Usually teens (like most of us) have too much “stuff”. There is more stuff than places to put the stuff – so it is easier to just throw it on the floor. Keep in mind this isn’t always the case. My oldest son (at home) has plenty of storage space…but stuff is still on the floor – but he could still stand to declutter again.

Starting at the Beginning means starting with Sorting

Be armed with Black trash bags (trash) and white trash bags (donate).

Then remember your sorting basics.  Don’t spend more time on each item than about 5-10 seconds.  You don’t want to start reminiscing or you will never get the job done.  If they still have all kinds of stuffed animals or toys from their childhood (and they are teens)..help them pick out a couple special ones to keep (if they want to keep any). Take pictures of others if they are having a hard time deciding or not sure about getting rid of things.

If there are clothes that you need to keep to pass down to other children in your family. I suggest clear bins (so you can see what is in them) and be sure to label them well.

Work with them and have them decide: Make paper sorting cards to help remember what to do with their things.

1) Keep – Do I LOVE it? Do I WEAR it? Do I USE it? Does it FIT?
2) Donate – I DON’T like it and will not wear it, It DOESN’T fit, I DON’T use it.
3) Move – It doesn’t BELONG in my Bedroom
4) Storage - This can be season sports supplies or things they need to keep but don’t use but once or twice a year.
5) Trash – It is trash, broken, torn or worn out

Let them just make piles (they love piles anyway right?)  on the floor for the different categories.  If there is not floor space to begin with. I suggest piling everything in one big pile and then going through it.

Open Sky Shop Opening Soon!

I am excited to announce that I will be opening an Open Sky shop next week!! I always love to recommend things that I find….now I will be able to send you to my very own shop and have them in one place!

Open Sky is still working to bring on new vendors, and I have gone to several of the products that I have reviewed and asked them to join Open Sky – because I really liked their products and want to include them in my shop.

I am going to try and feature a product of the week. Some of the things I will have reviewed myself. Others I may have used in the past or have used something similar. Still others I just saw in the Open Sky shop and wanted to carry them in my own shop because…

1) They look like a great idea and I think could be very useful
2) I think they looked fun and cute.

Not everything in my shop will be “just for organizing”. That is what I look for first when I am scanning all the products. But I do want to also carry other items that I have used or think look like they would be cool.

NAPO’s Amazing Race!

Napo stands for National Association of Professional Organizers

This post is for all those Professional Organizers who are going to be attending the NAPO conference in Columbus Ohio this week!!  The ladies at the Ohio NAPO chapter have been working SO hard to make sure that you all have a fantastic time.  They wanted to come up with something really fun and different and I think they have out done themselves!

The NAPO AMAZING RACE will be so fun!  There will be teams and you will have clues and have to go from expo booth to expo booth….remember having scavenger hunts as a kid?  You’ve got it!

I can’t wait to see you all.  I will actually not be in the sessions because I have a table in the Expo hall. But I WILL be a part of the AMAZING RACE!!   will be selling the pouchees purse organizer and also card cubbies (that aren’t even in my online store yet).  Be sure to stop by my table and say hi…along with getting a deal!  OR you may win one of them in the RACE!

Don’t miss “Amazing Race” NAPO – a new Networking Mixer at the NAPO 2010 Conference hosted by NAPO-Ohio Chapters

WHAT IS THE NAPO AMAZING RACE?
Teams of NAPO members will race against each other in the completion of tasks designed to get them to know each other and learn more about the exhibitors

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

All NAPO conference attendees

WHERE?

Expo Hall at the NAPO 2010 Conference

WHEN?

Wednesday evening 4/21 from 7:15 – 9:30 pm

WHY?

You’ve asked for a fun Conference networking event, plus we have awesome Prizes! Over 80% of our exhibitors are participating and FIVE winning teams will walk away with some pretty amazing stuff and I’m guessing some pretty amusing memories.

COST?

Absolutely nothing!

HOW DO I GET IN ON THIS?

Just make sure you’re at the exhibitor hall by 7PM that evening and stop at the Amazing Race table near the entrance!

QUESTIONS?

email Andrea Sharb, NAPO-Ohio President at agsharb@mac.com

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