Planning

Back to School Tips

/

I sent out a newsletter yesterday that had a lot of links to help you set up routines to get the school year started on the right foot. For all those readers that are not signed up to receive the newsletter I am posting it on today’s blog post. To receive future newsletters in your email box, please sign up on the right sidebar.

Decluttering Tips Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 13

Back To School Time
As I hear the school bus pick up the children at the corner of my street I am reminded that many schools are already in session. My youngest is away at college in his last year so I tend to lose track of the start of school days for younger children.

Some schools haven’t started yet so those parents are still in the back to school shopping mode. One reader, Sue, had some back to school shopping tips I wasn’t aware of. The main one was that some schools do not allow solid fabric backpacks or book bags. Since it has been awhile since my children were in the elementary and secondary schools the safety rules have changed. Some schools that are in high risk areas are more strict on what is allowed on school grounds. If you are not aware of these rules, which also include dress codes, you should contact your children’s’ school for a list of them. It could save you from buying things that are not allowed and the hassle of having to return them. It can also prevent arguments with your children if it is school rules and not just your rules on not allowing your children to have certain clothes or other items.

Whether your children have already started classes or about to now is the time to set up routines to make this transition a lot smoother. The Flylady web site (http://FlyLady.net) has a great control journal just for students. It will teach your children to take responsibility to follow routines that will help them learn to take care of themselves.

Here are some other sites for you to check out ideas on how to prepare your children and yourself for the upcoming school year. Work on keeping your children’s routines as simple as possible. That will help reduce the emotional clutter and keep them and you from being overwhelmed.

http://www.familycorner.com/homegarden/organize/back_to_school.shtml

http://holidays.kaboose.com/back-to-school/

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/b2shandout.aspx

http://childcare.about.com/od/behaviors/bb/backtoschool.htm

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/schoolage/going_back_to_school.html

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://facebook.com/CutClutterWithScissors

 

Back to School Tips Read More »

Being Organized Is A Journey, Not A Destination

/

We all have hopes of reaching the “point” of being organized and our lives run smoothly. Anything before that “point” feels like we aren’t there yet.

The problem with this kind of thinking is that even if we reach that “point” we won’t be able to stay there for long. Life is always changing. Sometimes we hit a bump in the road and with a small adjustment we can quickly get back to being organized. Sometimes we hit a major lifestyle change, good or bad, and we get completely derailed.

Once a lifestyle change (such as adding a new baby to the family or a major illness or death) has derailed you, you will have to change your old organizational plan to a new one. You may feel like you are living in chaos for awhile but you will get back on track. It will just be a new track.

This is why it is better to look at organizing as a journey. You will always be improving and/or changing your organizational plan to fit your current lifestyle.

If a bad lifestyle change occurs the journey way of thinking will help you get through the crisis with a lot less stress. You will know you have to be flexible and adapt to the change.

Just remember there are plenty of good changes in our lives, not just bad ones.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://facebook.com/CutClutterWithScissors

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Being Organized Is A Journey, Not A Destination Read More »

Back to School Shopping

/

Many states are having the “School Tax Holiday” this weekend. If your state participates then you will want to take advantage of it especially if you are in need of a big ticket item like a computer.

This week’s Decluttering Tips Newsletter has suggestions on how to take advantage of these tax savings. You don’t want to buy more than you need because the extras can easily end up as clutter. If you haven’t signed up to receive this newsletter then please do so on the right sidebar. I will be sure to send out a copy to anyone who signs up in the next couple of days.

If you are already signed up to receive the newsletter then please check your inbox.

Back to school shopping can be exciting or stressful. Planning ahead and writing down what you need to buy will help reduce the stress. It’s important to keep children enthusiastic about going to school. Their whole future depends it.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

Back to School Shopping Read More »

Decluttering From a New Perspective

/ / 2 Comments

You may have noticed that I haven’t blogged or sent out a tip newsletter for the past several weeks. It’s not because I have given up on building this blog or my website. I haven’t. Sometimes life takes an unexpected detour and it takes time to adjust.

I have been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be undergoing surgery tomorrow. After that I will have a round of chemotherapy followed by radiation. I’m telling you this because the next 9-10 months of my life will be in upheaval. The doctor calls it a temporary inconvenience. The last time I had a 9 month temporary inconvenience was when I was pregnant with my youngest son. He turns 23 in August. That “inconvenience” had a good end result. With some luck, at the end of this one I will have a clean bill of health and a rebirth of my spirit.

I plan on continuing this blog and my newsletters during this time. I cannot promise that the “Decluttering Tip Newsletter” will come out weekly or the “Organize By The Month News” will be out by the first of the month, but I will do my best. I also plan on writing articles for my website plus e-books on different areas of decluttering and organization.

I have spent the last 25 years reading, researching, and practicing many ideas and systems to keep control of the clutter. It doesn’t come natural for me so it is an ongoing process. It started when I found a book in the store called; “Sidetracked Home Executives” by Pam Young and Peggy Jones. I was a new mother and full time employee back in the early eighties and chaos was beginning to take over my home. Their system helped me keep some control over the growing clutter that came with a growing family. The one downside to their system is that I didn’t have a built in buddy like they did. My sisters, mother, mother-in-law, and most friends were either born organized or didn’t want to admit they had a problem. I had to go it alone.

Six years ago I found Flylady and a whole world of SHE’s. I wasn’t alone anymore! With lots of new friends (flybabies), both locally and online, I found the support needed to motivate me to dig even deeper to release the “hard to let go of” clutter. With most of the clutter gone I have been able to pursue my passion of writing and share my knowledge and experience with others.

Since my home is in good shape (not perfect) it has been a lot easier to keep it under control as I deal with the emotional part of my health crisis. However, with this new detour in my life I am finding a new perspective on what is clutter. Many things I thought were important to keep don’t seem so important right now. At the end of my newsletters I sign off with the statement; “To a lighter load along the way.” That has taken on a even deeper meaning. Life is precious, very few “things” are.

If you have read this far, I thank you. This blog will continue to focus on decluttering and organizing. So will my newsletters, articles, and e-books. I will be creating a new blog that will be a diary of my journey through breast cancer treatment. I will let you know when that is started for anyone who might be interested.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

Decluttering From a New Perspective Read More »

July 4th Fun

/

July 4th is this weekend and there are many fun and safe ways to celebrate. If you didn’t receive my July newsletter then you can check it out on this blog. It’s located on the sidebar under Newsletters. I have included lots of links to sites that can give you ideas of how to celebrate this holiday with your children.

If you are having a barbeque with the traditional hot dog and baked beans then there are lots of recipes for you to try. Ice cream and/or watermelon for dessert are also summer time favorites.

If you are getting ready to send your children off to overnight camp then check out the best way to pack them up.

Planning a vacation this month? Then make sure you pack everything you need and not one thing more. Many airlines are charging for each piece of luggage now so you don’t want to take any extra suitcases if you don’t have to. Check out the July newsletter for ideas of what and how to pack light.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

P.S. Be sure to sign up for the for the weekly Decluttering Tips Newsletter and the monthly Organize Newsletter. One sign up for both newsletters. Sign up now so you don’t miss out on all the great tips and information!

July 4th Fun Read More »