school

School Sales Tax Holiday 2009

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Many states are having their school sales tax holiday this coming weekend. This can save you a lot of money if you live in or near one of these states especially when buying computers. Each state has different requirements. Check out these two sites to find out more info. You can always Google your state tax department (usually the Dept of Revenue) to find out if your state participates.

http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/07/01/find-the-2009-sales-tax-holiday-for-your-state/

http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/sales-tax-holiday-schedule.html

Before you go shopping make sure to go through what you already have in school supplies and clothing. There is no reason to buy more than you need even if you are saving a few dollars on taxes.

Here are several blog post from the past that deal with back to school. Check them out for more information.

http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=242

http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=100

http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=101

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Cut Clutter With Scissors Newsletter – New Format

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Here is a copy of my new newsletter. It is replacing the other two newsletter I had before. If you are not signed up to receive each week then please do so over on the right sidebar in the blue box. Thanks.

Cut Clutter With Scissors Newsletter – New format
Volume 1, Issue 1
August 3, 2009

Note From Janice I have decided to change my weekly and monthly newsletter to better serve you. I will no longer be writing the monthly “Organize By the Month News” as a separate newsletter. I will incorporate that info into the weekly newsletter.My new newsletter is being called, “Cut Clutter With Scissors Newsletter”. This is what you will see as the title of the email in your inbox. I will still have a decluttering tip each week but also include important dates and websites for upcoming holidays and events. When big holidays are coming I will start including that info several weeks ahead to help you be more organized. I also plan to use my blog for more current information so be sure to check it often. http://organizebythemonth.com
In the near future I will be including a small section called, “Recommendations”. This is where I will write a short review of a book, organizing tool or item, or even a website that I feel can help you declutter and organize your home and life. Most of the time these recommendations will be for things I personally have used and found helpful.
I hope you like the new format of this newsletter. I would love to have your feedback. You can let me know by replying to this newsletter or leaving a comment at my blog, http://organizebythemonth.com.

To a lighter load along the way.
Janice Scissors

In This Issue
1. Note from Janice
2. Decluttering Tip
3. Important Dates and Website links
4. Stay Connected


Decluttering Tip – Back to School With back to school gearing up it’s time to go through all of last year’s clothes and school supplies before you head out to the stores. Although most schools don’t start for several weeks, if you start now with planning and organizing you will be able to take advantage of the “back to school” sales.
Here are some easy suggestions to get you started.
1. School supplies. Dig out all the left-over supplies from last year and take inventory. Once you know what you already have it will be easier to buy only what you need.
a. Grade school age: Go through the left-overs with your child. It will help them learn how to get rid of clutter. Give away any usable/new but outgrown supplies. This could be last year’s fashion notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. If your child will reuse them, great! If not, it’s not worth fighting over if you budget allows. If you budget is tight then use this as a lesson for buying neutral items that won’t be outdated one year from now. If your school gives out a supply list be sure to check it against your at home supplies.
b. Older Grades: check your basic supplies such as pens, pencils, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, folders.

2. Clothes: Get rid of any that are too small, torn/stained, or your child won’t wear because it’s out of fashion. Fitting in with the “right” clothes is important to most children’s self-esteem. That doesn’t mean they should have designer brands. Many of the discount stores carry knock-offs of current styles.

Important Dates and Website Links There is not much going on in the way of holidays during the month of August. That’s probably a good thing because most people are getting in their late summer vacations and/or dealing with the mad rush of preparing for back to school.
National Night Out is Tuesday August 4. If you haven’t already heard about it from your trustees (subdivisions/complexes) then you can call your local police department to find out if they know who is setting up an event in your area. Here is the main website that can help you find out a little more information about it.
http://www.nationalnightout.org/nno/

Back to School Information. Above I talked about decluttering last year’s school supplies and clothes in preparation for buying this year’s supplies. Here are several sites with more info to help you with these projects.

Clothes Shopping:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1296

http://www.dressingwell.com/backrel.htm

http://kidsfashion.about.com/b/2008/07/15/tips-for-back-to-school-shopping-on-a-budget.htm

School Supplies:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26044914/

Stay Connected
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com (website)
http://organizebythemonth.com (blog)
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
janice@cutclutterwithscissors.com (email)

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Graduation Time

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My son is graduating from college this week. He’ll be moving back home for about a month and then heading out to Los Angeles, hopefully with interviews set up for a job. diploma with graduate's cap Vector Clip Art image

He has a degree in Information Technology (IT) so at least he’s in a field where there are jobs.

With the job market the way it is these young adults are facing an uncertain future, at least in the short run. As parents we raise our children to spread their wings and leave the nest. But many are coming back home or continuing their education (with their parents help) because of the way the job market is.

Since he will be home for a few weeks before leaving town I plan on going through a lot of his things with him. I probably have more memories attached to his things than he does. I may find it harder to let go but I have to. He’s starting new life and so am I. Decluttering the “things” from the past (physical things – not memories) will let us both move forward carrying a lighter load towards the future. I’ll take pictures of anything that is hard to let go of.

Each time our children graduate from one stage of their lives to another we also graduate. Whether it is from toddlerhood to school age child or high school to college or college to independent adulthood we have to let them move forward to the next stage of their life.

I will officially be graduating to empty nester. Each stage of our life gives us new opportunities to experience different things. I know it will be hard to let go of some “things” from the past but I also look forward to it.

How do you feel about “graduation time”? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday

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Tomorrow is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. It is officially celebrated on this coming Monday which is President’s Day. Don’t forget that on Monday the banks, government offices, post office, and most schools will be closed.

My monthly newsletter for February has listed several websites to learn more about Abraham Lincoln. I have posted a link to the newsletter on the sidebar of this blog for your convenience.

There are also websites listed for Valentine’s Day activities you can do with your children. If they are having their school parties in the next couple of days then check out those sites for Valentine card designs and crafts.

To get a copy of the newsletter for March sent to you, please sign up on the sidebar. It will be sent to your email box by the beginning of March.

I would love to hear from you about the monthly newsletter. Does it help you plan out the month with dates listed? Are the links helpful? Is there something else you would like to see in this newsletter to help plan and organize the current month?

If you have suggestions of comments please let me know. Post them in the comment section. I appreciate any ideas that will help me improve the newsletters. Thank you.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com (blog)

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The Transition from Summer to Fall

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Each weekday my dog starts barking at the school kids running to the bus stop. Then I hear the beeping of the bus backing up at the corner to turn around for it’s journey out of the subdivision. School is back in session.

My youngest is away at college so the familiar rushing around to catch the bus doesn’t happen here anymore. But that doesn’t mean I have lost the old feelings that come with a new start. From the time we were little and got excited about a new school year to when our own children went through school is a good portion of our lives. We become conditioned to looking at this time of year as a fresh start.

Then again maybe it’s because the end of summer is here and now is the time to get back to taking our lives a little more serious. Or maybe it’s because we follow nature (at least in the northern hemisphere) with the impending fall and winter we need to prepare for it. Sort of like the squirrels gathering nuts for the winter.

Any or all of these reasons may make us feel like it is time to get back to the business of taking care of our homes. In Spring we spring clean to make our homes clean and bright for the summer. In Fall we prepare our children for the long school year ahead. We start putting our gardens to bed for winter. We put away the summer clothes and bring out the fall clothes. We even start thinking about the holidays and what our plans will be.

September seems to be that transition month where in the beginning it’s hard to let go of summer but by the end we are ready to move forward to the fall and winter months.

How do you transition from summer to fall during this month?

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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