Five Tips To Make School Mornings Less Stressful

Hello friends!

I'm back from my summer break & getting back into the swing of things around here!

Did you have an enjoyable summer? I hope so! 

School started today & there's nothing like the first day back to school in the fall to give a mom a swift kick in the "welcome back to reality"!

Things went off relatively smoothly & the kids & I even managed to take a few minutes for some photos before driving to school.

We've been doing the school thing for a five years now (my oldest is in grade 5 this year), & though things are rarely perfect, with a little planning & thinking ahead, you can make things less stressful for you & your kids in the mornings.

Here's what I've learned...

1) Think through the things you want your kids to do every morning before heading off for school. Write them down. You can make a chore chart or just a hand-written list for your kids to work from.  Try using pictures for children who aren't reading yet. This list or chart is especially helpful on busy mornings.

Then, come up with consequences for not getting things done or for doddling. (In our house we have a saying, "Doddling is disobeying.") Communicate these with your children. In our house, there's little time for fooling around before school. There's stuff to be done! If they aren't doing what needs to be done, enforce the consequences you've put in place. If Billy is playing on his iPod instead of brushing his teeth, thus & so will happen. You get the idea.

I find that it takes the stress off of me. All the tasks are there in black & white (or colour if you've made a fancy chart.) The kids know what is expected of them. The kids can't say, "You didn't tell me to!" & I don't have to try to remember if I did or not! :)

Find a printable list, do a list on your computer & print it off, have one of their iPod or phone that they can see, or use a store bought chore chart. Whatever works for you.

We use a simple handwritten list posted on the fridge. The list is pretty much the same for both kids:

• Get dressed
• Make Bed
• Do Hair
• Pack Lunch (a tip about this coming up!)
• Have Breakfast
• Brush Teeth
• Pack Backpack (a tip on this one coming too - read on!)

These are the basics to get out the door. If things are going smoothly, I like to see the following get done as well:

• Dishwasher emptied & reloaded
• Laundry taken to the laundry room
• Garbages emptied

You may have more items or less. The point is to think about what the kids need to do & get them to take ownership!

2) Do some lunch prep the night before & get the kids to help. Come up with a plan. This year, I've been thinking of some ways to keep lunch interesting & not just make the same sandwich day after day.

Here's what I came up with:

Monday: Pita sandwich

Tuesday: Salad

Wednesday: Sandwich or put leftovers in a thermos

Thursday: Soup

Friday: Tortilla wrap

We'll likely switch the days around & not have salad every Tuesday, for example, but it's 5 days of a different meal. 

Also, do some chopping! Again, to stay away from boring fruit choices - "an apple again?"- chop up a cantaloupe (one average cantaloupe makes 5 - 1 cup servings). Fruit salad is another fun option. Try to make healthy food interesting & fun.

Have guidelines for the things that they MUST pack - fruit, only one treat item, etc.

Pack lunches the night before. We do as much as we can the night before & leave things like wraps & sandwiches for the morning. No one likes soggy sandwiches! 

3) Have a plan for when kids forget something at home. 

Our school is a 15 minute drive (in good traffic) from our house. Both ways? You do the math. I am NOT going to be driving back & forth all year, bringing the kids their forgotten homework, lunches, & gym clothes. 

We have this rule set in place: Each child has 2 "free rides" per school year. 

If they forget something, they decide if it's important enough to call mom to bring it. They have to weigh what's most important: Forgotten lunch = My friends will probably share with me because I share when one of my friends forgets VS. Forgotten gym clothes = I miss basketball practice & can't play in the big game this weekend. You get the picture.

It forces them to look through their things before leaving the house in the morning to make sure they have everything.

Remember, we want them to take responsibility.

4) Make your kids "earn" TV, video game, & media time. 

This isn't specifically just for mornings, but it does apply here too. 

During the school year, our kids must do extra school work (get ahead) to earn screen time. One page = 10 minutes. Things are a bit more lax in the summer, but right now we're talking about school. :)

There are also stipulations to this:

• You have to be caught up in all your subjects, not way behind in Math, but ahead in Science
• There is a maximum amount of screen time per day of 30 minutes.
• Screen time only takes place after school or in the evening. **Never in the morning.** (Remember that you have that list to take care of??)

5) Get backpacks & lunch bags up off the floor. Have a place for school shoes, jackets, etc.

Visual clutter really bothers me. I honestly don't feel like I can relax if things are a mess around me. That's not everyone, I understand, but having things in their place adds so much ease in the morning when a person is trying to heard kids out the door. 

Even if it's a big basket by the door that the kids throw their shoes into at the end of the day, at least you  (& they) know where to look in the morning. Hang jackets in the closet or on hooks & have a designated place for backpacks, homework, papers from the teacher, lunch bags, etc. 

I've recently put up some sticky hooks (the kind that don't damage the wall if you want to remove them) in our linen closet. We don't have room to store the kid's lunch bags in our kitchen, so after school they empty out any garbage & hang them up there. 

Just knowing where things are takes off a lot of stress not to mention making things easier getting out the door in the morning!

These are some of the things I've learned along the way. 

What are some things that have helped you? I'd love to know! 

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Here's to another great school year!

Check out the great parties I link up to!

The Organizing Itch - Ribbon Organization

The organization itch hit at the beginning of January. After all the Christmas decor is taken down & put away, it just makes me want to redecorate & organize the whole house! If only I didn't have to drive the kids to & from school, do laundry, & clean the house, then I would have time to do all the organizing & decorating my heart desires. Not to mention crafting & scrapbooking! :)

Even though I'm a busy mom, I have done a few little organizational projects recently. A couple in my craft room too!

I had lots of loose strands of pretty ribbon that I wanted to get under control as well as some larger rolls of ribbon.

I had these glass jars from Ikea that I've been using in my craft room for other craft supplies that had dwindled from use so that one of the jars was quite empty. Perfect!

Out came my package of clothespins from the dollar store & I started wrapping.

Here's how:

Don't they look pretty all displayed in the jar together?

Now onto the spools of ribbon. After looking around the house for something that might work, I came across a little wire basket that I got on a thrifting trip last year. 

The ribbon spools fit perfectly!

I added some command hooks to hang it on the wall.

It's a nice little storage update to my craft space!

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Enjoy your day!

Check out the great parties I link up to!

Mission: Kid's Toy Organization

As a part of our Easter break & spring cleaning, our kids & I had a mission:

To sort & purge all their toys, games, puzzles, books, & other loot.

Look at the mess that had been going on all winter...

Audrey's room:

Ponies, Princesses, & Pet Shops, oh my!

Messes scattered everywhere because all the storage space was full!

We came to this conclusion: they just had TOO MUCH STUFF! 

So, before we started, I explained to the kids what we were going to do & that they would have to make some choices as to what they wanted to keep & what they were willing to let go. 

As an added perk, I told them that if there were toys & other items in good condition that they no longer wanted, we could try to sell them on Kijiji & they could use whatever money they made for spending money on our vacation this summer.

I must say that the kids totally surprised me in the amount of toys & stuff they were willing to let go!

They did SO well!

Here are my daughter's bins after we sorted & purged...

I also googled & found pictures of the toys she wanted to keep. I printed off those pictures & used packing tape to label the bins so she can see what goes in each bin, since she can't yet read.

In the middle of the job, I ran out of tape, so that's why the top photo doesn't show them all complete. :) 

Off to the store for more packing tape!

Labels for her bins:

Purses

My Little Ponies

Littlest Pet Shops

Crowns & jewelry

Strawberry Shortcake

Balls

Doll accessories (bottles & clothes)

Tea set

I left a few bins un-labeled just because the toys that she had left really didn't fit into a "category". 

Those toys I leave up to her as to which unmarked bin she wants to put them in. 

Parker's room:

His toy bin was pretty full so the top of these drawers was always a dumping ground... 

hence the housecoat, gas mask, parrot, & play back pack... 

only in a boy's room would you find such a random assortment of items in any one place.

  After organizing all the books, toys, games he wanted to keep, throwing away all the broken toys, & making a pile of toys & books to sell or give away, here is my son's closet. 

Even though he can read, he was happy to have the picture labels on his toy drawers too.

Labels for his drawers:

Top - games

Middle - electronics

Bottom - colouring books, activity books, & markers

The rest of his toys go in the big bin on the left. He has a smaller, separate bin just for his lego as well.

All the other places that were dumping grounds are much neater. 

They are finding that it's a lot easier to keep things tidy when everything has a home that isn't overflowing. :)

Look at the huge amount of toys, books, games, & puzzles that the kids gave away or sold!

And because we all like before & after shots...

So much better!

And another thing I can cross off my spring cleaning list!

Enjoy your day!

Check out these great parties I link up to!

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, feel free to become a follower, 

subscribe by email, or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Organizing Our Big Road Trip

  It's January. Christmas is done & the days can be dreary. When our regular to-do list is complete, we fill our free time with crafts & cute projects to bring some cheer to the grey winter. One other thing people start to do at this time of year is to start planning their summer vacation.

  We are no different.

  In fact, we started planning this summer's vacation a year & a half ago. It's been a long time coming, it seems. Now that it's 2012, we can start saying "this year" instead of "next year".  How exciting!

  Yes, we're going to Disneyland.

  Not only are we going to Disneyland, we're driving to Disneyland. Approximately 2,800 kilometres (that's 1,740 miles for my American readers).

  It will be a road trip of monumental proportions. I'm absolutely pumped. I love road trips! But this is the longest road trip we've ever attempted, so it requires some major organizing & planning.

  We've been reading up on Disney vacations & tips. I'm starting to plan early & have started to make a packing list for each person in our family.

  I've also started compiling a trip binder. 

  The trip binder is an idea I got from my sister-in-law, Carrie-Lynn, when they drove to Disney a couple of summers ago.

  It includes maps, itineraries, pamphlets, hotel information, etc. Any paper work involving the trip goes into the binder. 

  It's a brilliant idea, really. 

1) Choose a zippered binder, so that your papers don't slip out & get lost.

2) Fill it with plastic sleeves. One for each day of the trip, plus a hand full of extras.

3) Print off your day-by-day directions from map quest or google maps, your trip itinerary with each night's hotel information, including confirmation numbers, restaurant possibilities, sights you want to see, etc. & include them all in the binder.

4) When you're on your trip & pick up small mementos & pamphlets or tickets you want to keep, stash them into the binder & it's all in one place when you get home. 

  I'm filling up the binder bit by bit, as we reserve our hotels & get things booked. I've also started a countdown on our computer so we know how many sleeps are left until we leave! Ya, we're just a bit excited. :)

When do you start planning your summer holiday? Are you headed somewhere special this year?

Enjoy your day!

Getting Organized In The New Year

  Organization... Is that a word that brings on thoughts of longing? Or perhaps thoughts of dismissal, thinking it will never happen to you? It CAN be you! If you want to be organized, you can be. All it takes is some commitment. Set aside a little bit of time every day to clean out a drawer, under the kitchen sink, a closet, a cupboard, whatever! When the things you have have a home, it's much easier to tidy up because you know where things go. Less lost keys, less searching for your purse, less wasted time.

Via

  Having an organized home is very rewarding & definitely can take a lot of stress out of life. When your son asks you where the extra markers are so he can work on his homework project, you can tell him exactly where they are instead of spending half an hour looking for them. Maybe you want to get your pantry organized so that you can tell at a glance what you need when you make a trip to the grocery store. It is within reach.

Via

  Don't let the dream or maybe the New Year's resolution to get organized fall by the way side. Keep at it! Make it happen! You can do it!

Via

  If the task is daunting, ask a friend who is organized to help you get started. Maybe you just need a jumping off point to get you going. Push yourself to start & make this the year you get organized!

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  If you are a lover of all things organizing, you probably love tips & tricks. I sure do! Here are a few things I've found & some that I've put to use & think are worth sharing.

Via

  This amazing idea couldn't be easier. Save some of the little tie thingys that come on a bag of bread, potatoes, or apples. Label them with the names of your electronics & put them on the corresponding cable that's plugged into that pesky power bar. Now the next time you have to unplug that one thing, you know exactly which one to go for! Genius.

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Via

  Use a CD rack to corral plastic lids. No more piles to wade through to find the one you want. Bonus tip: I've seen these exact CD racks en masse at so many thrift stores. In total seriousness, I gave a bag full of these to charity just today. I'm not kidding! Save yourself a few dollars & support a local charity while you're at it. :)

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Via

  Use plastic bins to organize your freezer. For me, this was a "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" moment. Those bins are easily found at pretty much any dollar store... Look out, Dollarama, here I come!

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Via

  Use a magazine holder for kitchen items such as boxes of plastic wrap or ziplock bags. You could also store small cookie sheets or cutting mats. Put on a shelf or in a cupboard & free up a drawer. 

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Via

  Store your sheet sets in the matching pillow case. When it's time to change the bedding, grab one go! No more searching for the whole set!

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Via

  This idea is especially fitting right after Christmas. Corral all of your wrapping paper in plastic shopping bag holders, available at Ikea. Love it!

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So there you have it. Are you eager to get organizing? I am! Hmmm, what to start on first? :)

Enjoy your day!