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Annoyances: Swords and Batons – Part 1 of 4

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Annoyances: Swords and BatonsMarch is not getting off to the start I had hoped. Though I had planned ahead, I feel behind, but I just need to get warmed up. In fact, a little more heat to these rainy 30-40 degree days would brighten my day. 😉

With the sun out this morning, my spirits are lifted, and I’m ready to attack the day. With a list of items to do, I am starting with my least favorite item on the list. When I get that task done, the rest come easy, and I get more done.

Using this same mindset in keeping up our household, I have isolated four annoyances in our home that prevent me from using time wisely. These annoyances, or problem areas, distract me from other projects as I am constantly fixing or addressing these items.

During the month of March, I will share these annoyances with you (one per week), and how fixing them is helping me in using time wisely. Today, I begin with our collection of swords and batons.

Part 1: Swords and Batons

Having a designated place for each of my children’s toys increases the likelihood that the toys will find their way home after play. I am learning that the easier it is to put the toy back, the greater the chance it will happen voluntarily.

For example, housing Matchbox cars in a box with a lid is easier to open than the car carrier that requires adult-help with the latch.  Once I moved the well-loved cars to the box, my preschooler willingly puts the cars away – when reminded, of course.

The Annoyance

For our collection of swords and batons, I originally had them propped up behind the workbench. This option worked when there were three items. However, as the collection grew, so did the frustration as they did not stack vertically. So, my children just tossed them into a pile somewhere in the vicinity of the workbench. (You know where this is going, don’t you?)

As the family moved about the living room, we all tripped over the swords sticking out of the overflow. Realizing that I kept moving these toys and rearranging them, I decided that I was tired of wasting my time fixing this annoyance multiple times a day.

Annoyances: Swords and BatonsMy Current Solution

To solve the mound of swords and batons, I knew I needed a container to hold them. With the odd shapes and bent tips, I knew a basket or bucket would not work. In addition to needing a container, I wanted something that looked decent for the job.

Not having a container tall enough, I decided to create my own solution. I cut open a cardboard box, re-shaped it, and taped it closed with duct tape. I then placed all the swords and batons into the box. Cha-ching!

Since showing my children the new arrangement, I have not had to pick up one sword or baton. Yay! They play and put the toys back into the box. Besides a specific home, they can quickly find the one they are seeking as all the items are vertical rather than horizontally tossed in a pile.

Working through the annoyance of our swords and batons took a little creativity, time, and energy. But in exerting those efforts, I continue using time wisely without tripping over these toys and getting frustrated with picking them up repeatedly.

As you look about your household and discover one or more ways in which you address the same annoyance over and over and over again, see if you can find a way to solve the problem permanently. Doing so may encourage other family members to help more and enjoy the benefits of playing at home. Happy solving!

Question: What annoyances are located within your home? 

Organization: School Paperwork

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Organization: school paperworkOver the course of the last two weeks, I have been sorting through my children’s paperwork from this current school year.

When I had one child in school, I seemed to keep the papers under control. However, with two in school, the paper load has more than doubled, and I have become lax in organizing.

When I started this project, which by the way is on-going, I had a pile of paperwork with both my son and daughter’s paperwork. (Yes, everything from school went into one big pile.)

Organizing: School paperworkStarting with an open space on which to work and a movie for enjoyment, I proceeded as follows:

1. Sort into His and Her piles

2. Take one set and sort by subject

3. Place piles into folders or notebooks

4. Pack away until the end of the year

Organizing: School paperwork

With more than half of the school year complete, I am aiming for the finish line as I keep my children’s school paperwork organized. Though I will still pile it up throughout the week, I have a system in place to take the additional documents.

Keeping the paperwork in check is an on-going process but worth the time and energy. Happy organizing while using time wisely!

Question: How often do you file your children’s school paperwork?

Organizing: Vehicle Coupon Holder

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Vehicle Coupon HolderIn Thursday’s Arrange Coupon Redemption post, I shared planning and finding coupons for those times when you choose to eat away from home. In reading that post, Shannon, a friend and supporter of Using Time Wisely, responded with a tip of her own. She keeps her coupons in the car. 🙂

Besides loving her comment, I was encouraged as we are on the same page. Having previously planned to share my vehicle coupon holder for today, I enjoyed hearing that Shannon had the same success that I have found by keeping the coupons in the car.

Though there are a number of ways you can organize your coupons, I have chosen the following system which has worked for our family:

1.Vehicle coupon holder Find a container. I purchased our blue coupon binder for $1 in the Target Dollar Spot section.

2. Determine your sections. My holder has 6 slots to which I designate as follows: expiring soon, Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, desserts, free items, and percentage off coupons.

3. File coupons. Any coupons I find in the newspaper, home mailers, magazines, store flyers, etc., get filed in the appropriate category of my holder.

With the binder complete, I store it in our van, so I have easy access to these coupons when we choose to treat ourselves. I do have a folder by my desk at home that holds gift cards, vouchers, and booklets of coupons. Usually redeeming these discounts require more forethought to use, so I don’t keep them in the car.

In using time wisely, having the coupons available and organized in our vehicle coupon holder allows a quick look to see if an outing is possible. Knowing that busy days and hiccups with errands will occur, plan for those times. But when planning does not come together, seize those coupons to keep your family fed while on the go.

Thanks, Shannon, for sharing your tip to help us all as we continue using time wisely. Happy organizing!

Question: How do you organize your restaurant coupons, vouchers, and gift cards?

Organizing: Outside Toy Chest

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Organizing: Outside Toy ChestHappy Labor Day! For some this is the end of summer while others are just taking a little break from their new school routine. Between last dips in the swimming pool to summer picnics and barbecues, I wish you a wonderful Labor Day.

As our family is taking a little break from our new school routine, I have closed the chapter on our summer fun. The fun remains, but we fit it in between school obligations and responsibilities.

In completing most of our backyard outings, we took a little time after dinner one evening to clean out and organize our outside toy chest. My decision came after rearranging the items twice to fit toys with broken pieces. Rather than fuss with the lid, I began unloading the chest.

Unloaded the Toy Chest

Our outside toy chest contains all our outside toys. Everything from baseball and soccer equipment, chalk, water guns, sand box shovels, Frisbees, and balls find their way into the toy chest.

Overfilled outside toy chest

Our too many unused and broken toys

With getting the toys in and out, my children have emptied containers, broken items, and out-grown some of the toys. As our summer came to an end, we unloaded the toy chest by dumping the contents into the yard.

Organizing Outside Toy Chest

Unloaded the outside toy chest

Sorted the Toys into Piles

After spraying out the chest, we sorted the items into two piles:

    • Trash
    • Keep
Organizing outside toy chest

Trash and Keep Piles

We had lots of broken items, including swimming toys from our first baby pool – 5 years ago. Yep! We needed to clean out this chest.

Organized the Toys

After trashing the one section, we put similar items together from the keep pile. Our sections consisted of water toys, sand toys, soccer toys, baseball toys, etc. The sections were then placed back into the toy chest. By the time we finished the sun had set, so the picture is a little darker than the others. But we finished!

Organized outside toy chest

Project complete!

In using time wisely to organize our outside toy chest, our family unloaded, sorted, and organized the toys that will entertain my children into the fall season. Clearing out the chest rid our toy stash of unused, broken, and out-grown items. With an organized chest, we will find the wanted item without wasting time and energy searching among broken toys.

Before putting the summer items away, spend a little time clearing out for next summer. In using time wisely now, you will save storage space and energy at the start of next summer by keeping only the toys you need. Enjoy the rest of your summer and your Labor Day. Happy organizing!

Question: Where do you store your outside toys?

When Your Organizing System is Less than Perfect, Get Creative

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When your organizing system is less than perfect, get creative

Photograph Credit: Martha Stewart

There it is that perfect organizer that gives everything a place and looks fantastic. The advertiser has lured you in with perfect lighting, balance, and color. You consider your space and budget and decide to purchase it.

Then you get it home and the drawers are too small to hold all your items, the height seems smaller than pictured, and reality sets in. The ideal organizer looks great, but lacks functionality in your space.

Don’t Give Up

Hang in there because not all is lost. Remember the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” find a new use for that great organizing system.

Creativity and organization go hand in hand. What works for one individual is not guaranteed to work for another. Just because that scrapbook station worked for one scrapbook artist who loves small items like buttons, eyelets, and paperclips does not mean that the same system will work for the scrapbook hobbyists who loves bulky items like paint, stamps, and stickers.

Try, Try, and Try Again

Organizational systems are great. But when your organizing system is less than perfect, get creative. Go back to the drawing board, and answer these questions:

  • What is currently working well?
  • What is not working?
  • What changes would you like to make to the existing system?
  • What do you need to get from your current system to a workable solution?
  • Do you have anything around the house that will fit your needs?
  • Can you adjust your beautiful scrapbook station into an office or music center?

If not, get creative. See if you can move a media storage center into a tall, narrow space to solve your problem. As you evaluate your organizational systems, you have options. Just because the designer chose to market that set as a sewing center, you can adjust that system to create a desk, kitchen island, or workbench.

What worked last year is not necessarily workable this year. Stay flexible and creative in finding a solution that works for you. Happy organizing!

Question: What organizational solution resulted from your creativity?Â