5 Ways to Stay Organized this School Year

“You’re off to great places, today is your day, your mountain in waiting so…get on your way.” -Dr. Seuss

(This post was sponsored by Minted, but all opinions and pictures are mine.)

Well, it’s here, BACK TO SCHOOL time. Where did the summer go? As much as I have loved the long evenings and fun summer activities I am actually ready to have a little more routine to our schedule. To get us all ready for the new school year I knew I needed to get us all organized. So I am sharing a few of my tips that hopefully will help you as well get you and your kids excited for the upcoming year.

1)  You must have a calendar centrally located!! The calendars from Minted are such a great idea to use as your family planner. I love ours, not only because I got to personalize it with our favorite Disney pictures, but because I can easily write all over the pages and it is such great quality. Give each person in your family a different color and put all the activities in one place where everyone can see. Use this link to get your calendar from Minted at 30% off for back to school (ENDS 8-29-18)!

2) Make a designated area for homework. I like to have a separate area, other than the kitchen table, for school work so food doesn’t get on important papers. I also like to have all the crayons, pens, pencils and scissors handy in this area so they are within arms reach for the kids. Having a specific school area will help you keep track of the kids work as well as keep all the clutter off of where you eat. This is also a perfect place to hang your Minted calendar so the kids can practice their days of the week, months of the year and even see what is coming up on important days.

3) Make a designated area for backpacks and shoes! I know this seems so simple, but keeping shoes and backpacks in one spot makes it so much easier in the morning when you are usually in a hurry, it’s one less thing you will have to find. I especially love keeping shoes outside so they don’t bring in all the germs, dirt and sand from the playground. We have this spot in our garage right before entering our home. Here is a link to shop our similar mirror with hooks and bench.

4) Create a large folder for their school work. I learned quickly that they come home with lots of art work that you won’t be able to throw away (at least not right away). So we got two large pieces of thick construction paper and stapled them together. Then I let the kids decorate them and I put the school year on the front as well. That way all the things you can’t seem to part with can go right in this folder and can be stored under a bed, in a closet, or wherever you want.

5) Come up with a dinner plan for Monday-Thursday. I say this because, if you are like me, you will get so busy during the day that by the time dinner comes around you are scrounging up an idea for what to eat. BUT I also think planning dinner 5 nights at a time seems slightly daunting to me, so I suggest giving yourself a break on Friday and just order out (or eat any leftovers)! I am going to try actually writing out our plan on a little chalk board to keep us on track.

Here is a magnetic chalk board I found that would be perfect to stick to the fridge.

Do you have a calendar at home? What other tips do you always use to stay organized? Leave me a comment below and let me know!;)

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