A checklist at night helps the next morning start out right!

Catchy title right? Trust me when I say...this is TRUE! Have you ever started your morning out and realize you are rushing around wishing you had a clone? Well, I have a tip for you. You can eliminate some of your morning "to do's" by getting them done the night before! Whether it is laying out your clothes or prepping the kid's lunchboxes, there are many benefits of maintaining an evening routine:

1. You will have less to do in the morning. You then have an opportunity to get more sleep, more time for selfcare (ex: exercise, meditation), valuable time with your kids, and also a little bit of extra time to enjoy a hot cup of coffee!

2. It helps you maintain a clean and tidy home. By cleaning up and putting things away before bed each night, your home won't pile up with clutter!

3. It prepares you for a good night's sleep since you will have less tasks to remember to do!

4. It decreases stress, typical when having a rushed morning, and creatives a more positive outlook for the day.

Check out the free printable attached! Print it out each week, attach it to your fridge and check off each task at night. Then go enjoy a more peaceful morning!

CTO Evening Checklist 2021

.pdf

Download PDF • 69KB

5 Tips on Decluttering Paper

We all have it, paper piles! Sometimes it seems like they appear out of nowhere.  Paper clutter may include mail, work paperwork, your child’s homework, receipts, to name a few. It is perfectly okay to keep some papers but having a system as well as knowing what to purge is key in managing your “piles.” Here are 5 tips on decluttering paper:

1. Address mail right away. Decide if you need to either act on it (RSVP to that event, right away), keep it filed for future (need to pay that tuition bill next month?), or toss it/shred it (ever get a circular and know you never go to that store – toss it!). A desk file organizer like the one below is helpful in organizing papers that have to be addressed. Try and review this weekly.

Desk File Organizer

2. Implement a filing system for filing away “Keep” papers. A simple filing box or filing cabinet (examples below) is a great tool to have in organizing paperwork that you need to keep but does not need to be acted on. A fireproof safe is also a great choice for important paperwork such as birth/death/marriage certificates, social security cards and passports.

Stackable File Tote Box

Filing Cabinet

3. Go paperless. Here are some simple ways to help (and remember it’s eco-friendly too!)

a Get monthly statements sent to by email.

b. Use your phone calendar!

c. Save important documents on your computer (save to a PDF instead of printing)

d. Invest in a scanner or use your phone to scan important papers to your computer files.

e. You can find most things online these days such as product manuals, coupons and grocery store flyers.

4. Unsubscribe from those unwanted magazines. No longer read that magazine you subscribed to back in 2010? Go to the brand’s website and there should be an option to manage your account and cancel the subscription. Any questions, just contact customer service. If you want to keep it, find out if there is a digital edition available!

5. Create a memory box. This is a great option for saving your child’s special artwork and important papers. See the below picture of one I made for my daughter. Super easy! Also, photo books for each school year is another option to store pictures of that year’s artwork.

5. Helpful apps. There are tons of apps that help you manage your paperwork load! (Ex: CamScanner, Dropbox or just use your phone camera!)

Need some help with paper management? Looking to get some systems in place for your kid’s upcoming “at home” school year? Contact me for a free consultation. Would love to get you on track for a successful year!

Meal Planning and Eliminating Food Waste with an Organized Pantry

Have you ever looked into your pantry and said “I have nothing to make for dinner”? This is a common scenario for most people. There is a full pantry stocked with boxes of items, but we don’t see anything that we are interested in. Having effective pantry solutions to keep you organized can help tremendously with quickly answering this question! Here are some tips for keeping an organized pantry, saving money on groceries, and eliminating food waste:

• Categorize & Contain. Baskets or bins with labels are key in keeping like items together. When you are looking for something specific, you have one spot to look at. A snack basket for the kids is super helpful!

• Decanting into clear storage containers. When you decant or empty items into clear storage containers, such as cereals, baking items, or snacks, you can see exactly how much you have left. Here are a couple of great options:

ProKeeper Baker's Storage Set

Anchor Hocking Montana Glass Canisters

• Keep an eye on expiration dates. You don’t want to make that mac and cheese box for the kids at dinner time but realize it expired back in 2018. No fun for anyone! Use your bin or basket solution to stack or file items by expiration date so you use items in the order of which they’ll expire. An "Eat First" basket is also helpful in preventing food waste.

• Challenge yourself to be creative with the items you have. Do you have a whole bag of potatoes sitting in the pantry about to go bad? Make a large batch of breakfast potatoes. Freeze some and have the rest throughout the week! Bread – no problem. I am always looking for some crouton crunch on my salads!

• Meal plan. Keep your favorite recipes organized either electronically or in a recipe box. Quick and easy access. Pour that glass of wine on a Friday night and go online to your grocery stores to incorporate weekly sales!

• Keep digital lists. Have you ever walked into the grocery store and realized you left your list at home? Use your phone since you most likely have it on you all the time. Make use of the notes app or other apps, such as eMeals to keep a running grocery list or for meal planning.

• Know your inventory. Before going food shopping, take inventory of what you have so you are not buying double of what is already in your pantry. Keep a running list of items you run out of throughout the week (see tips above, use your phone!).

• Source ideas to keep your menu fresh. Follow social media accounts and hashtags such as #mealplanning, #mealideas, #freezermeals or #organizedpantry for ideas! My sister, mom of 5 growing boys, has an account called Meals and The Menu (@mealsandthemenu). She posts great ideas for meal prep and recipes! Some other great accounts to follow include: @skinnytaste, @halfbakedharvest and @thepioneerwoman.

All you need is 15 minutes each week to keep your system in order! Email me at jackie@claritythroughorganization.com if you would like me to help you turn your unorganized pantry into a functional space that will save you money and decrease stress in the long run!