Amen!  This is a guest post from my friend and Clever Container team leader, Melissa Schmalenberger aka Ms. Simplicity. If you like this article, please tell her so!

So often when I work with client’s they are terrified to throw* anything of their child’s away. I am not sure where this fear comes from, but parents everywhere I give you permission to start to throw your kid’s stuff away. I am talking about gum wrappers, broken bracelets, one earring without a mate, torn books, pieces of half scribbled on paper and toys they no longer play with. I am not telling you to get rid of their prized possessions, simply the junk and clutter in their room that surround them. READ MORE

In a forum for Professional Organizers, I saw a post asking about a timer that would help an ADD client. I quickly paid attention to that discussion thread as I often help ADD clients and parents of ADD children.  The tool that was suggested was the Time Timer.

So guess what? It’s today’s Tool Tuesday feature! I’ve done a little research and really think this is worth checking into – even if you don’t have ADD! READ MORE

I was on a mission earlier this summer to reduce the amount of memorabilia that I saved.  That was one of the reasons I put together the questions for memorabilia.  My husband and I have been married for 14 years and in that time we have moved 4 times.  Now I am used to moving, I was a military kid.  But what I noticed during the last move was how many boxes of memorabilia we were toting around.

So I set a goal – reduce our memorabilia by 50%.  That may sound a bit harsh to some of you but as the saying goes “to each his own”.  And I love a challenge – they motivate me to succeed! Let me start out by saying that at this point all of our children are adults and all but one is living on their own.

Here are some photos of what I started with. READ MORE

 Found some really darling ways to display the art our little kids bring home. to learn how it’s done, just click the link below the photo. Enjoy!

 Painted frame shapes on a wall

 Sharing Our Kids Art Space.

Hung a board with clips

a little of this, a little of that: DIY: {Kids} Art Display.

Repurposed a large frame

Delightful Order: Child’s Art Board Tutorial.

Scanned the artwork

Get The Look: Children’s Artwork Collages | Apartment Therapy Ohdeedoh.

Hung a wire clothes line

*Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM!*: Pillow and Art Wall Questions..

Awesome product- window like frames

www.dynamicframes.com/

Have you heard of Pinterest?  You can see the ideas I find there by following my pin boards.

“When shelf space is at a premium, these boxes go a long way in keeping a number of items neat. Tame your paper clutter or sort out any smaller items with these crisp, stackable boxes.”

Organizing with boxes… Okay that’s nothing new but I like these document boxes by Clever Container. Not only are they colorful, but their uniform size makes them perfect for many areas in your home or office. Here are a few ways I have recommended using them:

• One for each family member to be used as in-boxes

• One per child to store (and limit) the amount of school projects and artwork kept for the year

• One per project at work or home

• Containerize crafting tools

• Containerize small toys (barbie outfits, small cars, etc.)

• Holds the art supplies

• Holds vacation/travel memorabilia

• Teachers can carry back and forth with papers to be graded

• Store doilies, napkins, napkin rings in linen closet

• Containerize all small office supplies (extra staples, paper clips, tape, scissors, etc.)

• Give them as a gift to each adult child with their old report cards, sports ribbons, and memorabilia inside

And the list goes on. How would you use these versatile boxes?

If you want a set, you can order them online at my Clever container website – www.clevercontainer.com/Natalie.

For about a year now I have been putting something out there on the social media sites on Tuesdays.  So many people ask me  for recommendations of productivity and organizing tools. It occurred to me that I should be putting these tools here on the blog! So starting today…

Welcome to Tool Tuesdays!

Today’s tool spotlight is GripIt

GripIt is a flat organizer that has rubberized elastic bands designed to hold objects of all shapes and sizes in place.  Unlike a pencil case or accessory bag where your things get jumbled and you stab yourself trying to fumble around and find things, GripIt allows you easy access to your small objects.  Here are a few uses for the GripIt: READ MORE

I recently discovered Pinterest. It’s a place where you can save visual ideas online. It really helps to spark creativity, let me tell ya! I love looking at other pinboards for ideas and things that make me laugh. In fact, that’s why I am posting today. Below, for your visual enjoyment, are some not-so-ordinary ideas for organizing things. May it help you to think outside your box! READ MORE

Enjoy this guest post from fellow organizer, Ramona Creel. I could not have said it better myself!

Staying Organized Once School Lets Out

by Ramona Creel

School will be letting out soon for the summer and the kids will be home all day. That means re-arranging your schedule to accommodate summer camps and trips to the pool and family vacations –- it also means that your children will be having friends over and tearing your house up while you’re at work! How on earth will you stay organized once the wild rumpus begins? READ MORE

Kids say the cutest things, make the cutest things, and do the cutest things… well, up to a certain point, at least. the key is to not save everything they make. In today’s short post, I found this video from Kangaroom (I LOVE their products – great quality). It demonstrates exactly how to use their container to store your child’s school memorabilia and more.

This product is on sale right now through June 12th, 2011. Hurry up and get yours!

Many times when I speak to moms groups or have mothers in my audience, there are always these sort of  questions:

1. How do I get my child to keep their room organized?
2. How do I organize all the stuffed animals?
3. How do I get my ADD/ADHD child to stay organized?
4. How do I get my child to let go of some things?

Bottom line – Is organizing your kids possible? Yes.

Will they keep things organized the way you want them? Probably not.

Think about the things your mother suggested you do in your room.  Did you always do it as she suggested? If you say yes to this question, then I guess you were the perfect child so you can skip this blog post.  We’ll address perfectionism another time…..

Your children are individuals who are uniquely created, having their strengths and weaknesses that may differ from yours.  They will also have different ideas about what being organized looks like. There is no “one and only way” to organize. What you can do for your children is to set some boundaries as far as your minimum expectations for their room and possessions. Give them time to get used to these boundaries; give them tools that will help them be successful.  And most important, be a good role model.  My friend, Kevin Bracy, reminded me yesterday that children can’t hear what you are saying because your actions are speaking so loudly.

So how organized are you? What are your children seeing?