Kids Clothing Organizer

It’s back to school time! While I’m excited for the return to a more regular routine, it also means back to overseeing homework, packing lunches, and making sure the favorite shirt is clean.

One way to avoid arguments in the morning about what your child is wearing to school is to use an outfit sorter. It hangs from the rod in the closet and provides a slot for each day of the week. Your child chooses their outfits for the week ahead of time, maybe on Sunday (or the night before) and puts everything into the slot. Then in the morning it is so easy to grab the clothes and get dressed!

Not only does this pre-planning help alleviate some of the morning stress, it also teaches your child to be more independent.  It also helps you both find out if the favorite shirt is in the wash, avoiding last minute frustration.

Here are a few examples of clothing organizers:

• Amazon.com
• The Organized Parent
• Walmart with seven pockets (no labels)

For more on organizing your child’s room, check out my video from This Mom Needs Help!

Clearing Kids Room Clutter

Weed Constantly. To keep kids’ clutter at bay, I find “weeding” to be one of the most important strategies.

“Weed Constantly” is Strategy #3 in Kathy Waddill’s The Organizing Sourcebook: Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life (p. 85). This is one of my favorite organizing books because the ideas are accessible and really make sense.

I was reminded of the importance of weeding while working on my daughter’s room recently. Last week we came home with a few bags of new fall clothes for the start of school, but the dresser, closet and “clothes to grow into” bin were pretty full. Before putting the new things away, I started pulling out tops, skirts and pant from the dresser and asking her “does it still fit?”  There was some trying-on, but mostly we knew what had gotten small over the past few months. Not satisfied with the dresser, I also moved on to the closet – taking out the PJs, sweatshirts, dresses dance leotards, and soccer gear. And don’t forget about the shoes pushed way in the back of the closet, a sure sign that they no longer fit.

I was pretty shocked that even though we had sorted out the “too-small” clothes back in May, there were still a lot that now didn’t fit. I ended up with two bags of clothes, and happily took them to the my favorite local consignment store, The Little Fox Shop.

Since kids grow so quickly, weeding their clothes often is critical to maintaining an organized room. My rule is to get out clothes that don’t fit right away. Even if the clothes sit in your attic, garage or car for a bit before moving on to their next destination, getting them out of your child’s room is key.

Travel Tip: 4 Tips for an Organized Roadtrip

More Travel Tips coming in from Neat Sheet readers!

These ideas come from my wonderful college roommate. Each summer she and her family take a multi-day roadtrip from their home in Oklahoma to see relatives in the southeast.

Here are some great ways she made the drive easier and reduced her car clutter during the roadtrip:

• Pack a suitcase for the final destination, but use a smaller shoulder bag for the overnight stops. Just include the necessities – PJs, toiletries, and clothes for the next day. This means the bigger suitcase can stay packed in the car – and you don’t have to re-arrange everything each time you stop for a night.
• Use a small laundry basket in the back seat to hold snacks and a trash bag. Contain the snacks and trash in the basket, making it easy to tidy up and keeping the rest of the car clean.
• Designate one bag/backpack per child with their own books, games, DVD player, etc. When it’s time for an overnight stop, items go into the bag and can be carried to the hotel or camping site. Each child should be in charge of his/her own bag!
• And here’s a tip for one you are home: Since my friend makes regular roadtrips, she decided to make one bin the “roadtrip box.” She put all the things she only uses on long car trips, such as the maps, picnic table cloth, travel cups, and car plugs for the electronics. Putting all these things in one place eliminates the chore of hunting it all down before the next trip.

I’m going to try out the small laundry basket idea and overnight bag on our next long road trip.  Happy travels!

Organizing from a Child’s Perspective

This week I helped a mom of two – with twins on the way – get through a few organizing projects. One of the goals was to organize items in a way that her children could access them on their own, because this mom is going to be busy when her new babies arrive!

One of the projects we tackled in the kitchen was to sort and organize the kids plastic plates, bowls, cups and utensils. They had been stashed in a few spots in the kitchen, so we gathered them up, sorted through to keep the best, and then relocated everything to a new home. We were able to claim a whole drawer that was now the designated “kids drawer.” Everything they’d need for meals was in there, and they could easily reach it. This client reported that her kids loved that they had their own space in the kitchen.

The other project was to get a closet filled with games, craft supplies and other items in better order. It was pretty well sorted and organized, but we brainstormed how to make it work even better. With the addition of the clear plastic drawers, the arts and crafts items now each had a storage spot – all labeled.  Many of the supplies had been stored in stacked plastic bins which is OK, but the drawers brought the items down to where the kids could easily see and access what they’d need.

Just a few changes should have a big impact on this family.

Entry Re-do: Small change, big impact

A few weeks ago a client and I had a breakthrough – we made a small change, but it had a big impact on her space.

This was a very small entry right after you open the front door, typical in many New England homes. On one side there was a closet, and on the other side there was an open area. In that open area the client had a row of hooks with a shelf above, and a bench with cubbies below.  That all made sense, and is often the set up I recommend to clients.

But this just never worked for her family of 5, including 3 boys. Why? The kids couldn’t really reach the hooks as they were too high, and the bench made it even harder to reach. The boys shoes would get jumbled in front of the cubbies, not often making it into the cubbies where they were supposed to be.

So after pulling everything out of the bench and off the hooks, we started to brainstorm ideas and the client said, what if we get rid of the bench?

We moved the bench and marveled at the amount of space that was left. Then we decided to take off the hooks and shelf, and lower it a few feet. Now the boys could easily reach the hooks – without the bench blocking the way – making it much easier for them to actually get their coats on the hooks! What a change!

And with the hooks down lower, the shelf was now at the right height to be a “landing pad” for the parents’ keys and phones, and also the basket of incoming mail.

While the bench went to another room, we kept the baskets from the cubbies and just put them on the floor – one for each child.  Now that they were open on the top, it was much more likely that the shoes would end up in the basket.

Now that this side of the entry was 100% more functional for the kids, we decided that the closet would be just for the parents. We cleaned it out and purged some items, but now parents’ coats, shoes and gear all had a home.

What a great transformation with a few small changes!

What Happens to Your Donated Clothes and Kids Toys?

Ever wonder what happens to the clothes and toys that you donate? Last week my daughter and I found out what happens with donated items at Cradles to Crayons. A Boston-based non-profit organization, Cradles to Crayons provides the essentials through donated clothes, shoes, toys and school supplies to homeless and disadvantaged children.

My daughter and I were very excited to work at Cradles to Crayons “Giving Factory,” the very creative name for their warehouse of donated goods. We arrived and immediately found lots of helpful staff and volunteer workers.  Once all the volunteer groups were assembled, we all had an introduction to the goals of Cradles to Crayons and saw the end product of the donations: a bag with a week’s worth of clothing, shoes, toys and school supplies for a child.

There are many steps that happen before that bag gets filled for a child. The first step is “Triage” – this is the first sort of donated items to be sure they meet Cradles to Crayons high standards.  Toys and school supplies go to one area, while clothes are then sorted by gender. 

Next the clothing is sorted. This is where my daughter and I worked. She loved sorting types of clothes – shirts, pants, dresses – into the appropriate size bins. We started with a large industrial-size laundry bin of a type of clothing. We looked to make sure each item met the quality standards and then sorted it by size. Working with other volunteers, over two hours we sorted at least for of the huge bins. Later we found out that our work at just the sorting station helped approximately 165 kids!

After the clothes are sorted by gender and size, they go to the Outfit area. Here volunteers put together clothing to make complete outfits. Cradles to Crayons strives to give a child a week’s worth of clothing.

Finally. other volunteers get to go “Shopping” where they pick out outfits, shoes, toys and school supplies from The Giving Factory shelves for a specific child. All they know is the child’s name, gender and age.

This was an extremely well-run volunteer experience, and I was so impressed with the work of this organization. My daughter and I can’t wait to go back.

Organizing a Kid’s Craft Space

Last weekend I worked with one of my toughest customers: my daughter! Believe me, I understand how hard it can be to get other family members to organize their stuff.

We tackled her most challenging area: her craft space.

My daughter is fortunate that she has a little room just for her crafts - with nearly 8 feet of table top space.  When she outgrew her little kid table and chairs we took a trip to IKEA and got her two desks tops and a drawer unit. I thought that would be plenty of room for her to work and still have projects in process. But for the past few months things have just piled up, piled up, and piled up. 

After asking her to “clean up” her craft space for several weeks to no avail, I just pulled the curtains across so I wouldn’t have to look at the clutter (no door in this space). My daughter wondered why the curtains were closed and I told her.

She finally said to me, “Mom, I want your help.” I decided to treat her as one of my clients and get to work.

• Gather supplies. We got her trash can and recycle bin out, and I dove in.
• Sort and weed. I held up item after item and asked, “Do you need this? Do you want this? Where does it go?”
• Give everything a home. We repurposed some glass jars and other bins, to keep the things she used most right at her fingertips. 
• Label. We put “like with like” and then labeled the drawers. (My daughter loves using my label maker.)

My daughter got excited when she found things she had been missing, and was also ready to let go of some half-done projects.

A week in and she has been creating a lot more projects—and keeping the space clean!  

Favorite Container #2: Media Storage Box

Here in the Boston area we are still digging out from last weekend’s blizzard that dumped 2 to 3 feet of snow. With two snow days off from school, we ended up with a long weekend. In between shoveling and sledding we watched a lot of movies!

Watching movies is the inspiration for my Favorite Container for February: clear media storage boxes.

This great storage box comes from The Container Store. It’s clear, sturdy and stackable. It’s easy to look right through the top and find just the right movie. It also slides out of the cabinet, so I’m not shifting through lots of loose DVD boxes looking for what I want.

At first I was skeptical that I needed a box made for media, but it is the perfect size – with no wasted space. Once I had one box it worked so well, I had to get some more. We’ve now used these boxes to organize all our DVDs and games in our family TV room.

Your Turn: Can you find movies when you need them? If not, it may be time to get them organized. With all the on-demand options for watching movies now, be sure you are only keeping movies that you really watch and enjoy!  And finally, don’t even think about keeping VCR tapes unless you still have a working VCR.

Getting Teens to Clean–New York Times Article

Good article in the New York Times about parents dealing with their teenager’s bedrooms. I’m taking notes for when my daughter enters this stage in a few years!

What are your tips for getting your kids to clean?

Here are some ideas from me that appeared in the Boston Parents Paper April 2012.

Cleaning Up as a Family Affair

Last week I heard a great idea from a client.  Once each month, on a weekend, her family has a scheduled Chore Day. On Chore Day the whole family is involved, working from a list of chores, including putting things away in the storage areas, cleaning out cabinets, and general tidying up. The client reported that “having a scheduled chore day each month means I don’t feel guilty the other three weekends about having lots of fun.” Brilliant! In my house I may schedule some time for myself to work on the basement or the attic, but it’s more haphazard…and it’s not usually a family event unless I rope my husband into it at the last minute or get my daughter to clean out her art supplies. And in between all my daughter’s weekend activities we do have a lot of fun…but the mess in the basement is still there. But now I’m very inspired by the idea of Chore Day, and will try it with my family: maybe just half a Saturday each month to get us going on that nagging list of To Do’s. Would a set Chore Day work for you?

Routine Reminders

This summer I helped a client organize her closet and entryway. Managing shoes was a huge issue, which we solved by paring down and using a shoe shelf or baskets.

Here's a great visual reminder of the new system the client created for her family.  Shoes either go in the basket or on the new shelf – simple.

The sign is taped to the floor right in front of the closet. It’s easier for a routine to become a habit with some reminders in the beginning.

A+ Homework Helpers

Try these tips to set up an effective homework spot for your child:

• Clear the desk clutter. Does your child have a clear space to spread out and work? Remove anything that has piled up on the desk but isn't related to homework.
• Have the most-used supplies (pens, pencils, stapler, notepad) out on the desk and ready to go.
• Make sure your child's desk has drawers or another spot to keep the less-used school/craft supplies.
• If your child prefers to work at the kitchen, stash supplies in a cabinet or basket.
• Have good lighting for the workspace.
• If your child likes to work on the bed, get a lap desk.
• Provide a place for the papers. No matter where your child likes to work - desk, bed, or kitchen counter - be sure they have a place to store their school papers. A desktop file works great - label a folder for each class.

This article originally appeared in The Neat Sheet September/October 2012

Switching Kids Rooms

Moving rooms around in your house is never an easy task…especially when it is the hottest week of summer.

I recently got a call from a busy working mom of four. She had started a big project of swapping her kids rooms. Thanks to a renovation, her oldest daughter was getting her own room for the first time. While most of the furniture was in the proper room, all four kids’ clothes and toys weren’t…and this client needed this project done quickly.

On a sweltering night, my client’s husband took all the kids out to a friend’s house, and we dove in to the project. Before I even arrived the client had started and made a ton of progress. Just knowing I was coming got her inspired to move ahead with the “overwhelming job.”

We moved around the furniture in the daughter’s new room to a more efficient layout, then started to sort and put away her clothes. Of course we found lots of clothes and things that belonged in other kids’ rooms, so along the way we switched some dressers and moved other furniture. Did I mention that we folded and put away a ton of clothes?

With some help from iced coffees, water, and fans we finally got all the “girls stuff” out of the son’s bedroom, and everyone was happy…especially mom. It’s amazing how much can be done in a few hours when you have the right motivation.

See below for the “before” and “after” photos.

Transitioning Kids Clothes

Today at a client’s house I saw her clever way to manage clothes that didn’t fit her 4-year old son: she had two bags hanging from his closet rod. One was marked “too small” and the other was “too big.”

When the “too small” bag was full, she’d move the clothes to a container to save for her 2-year old to grow into.  The “too big” bag gave her a place to put things she was given or bought ahead of time, but that her son would soon be able to wear.

I always tell clients to keep only what fits their child in the dresser and closet, and this bag system was a great way to transition clothes in and out of the closet.

Tips for Tag Sales

It’s Tag Sale time here in New England! If you’ve done the hard work of purging and sorting items, be sure you are set up to have the best sale possible.

Check out the helpful tips in this segment from The Today Show, including:

• Hang clothes from an inexpensive garment rack
• Organize items by “departments” such as electronics, kitchen, or clothes
• Use a corkboard, shelves and stands to display items at eye level
• Provide as much information as possible on the tags, including size and materials

Featured in the segment are the fabulous all-purpose aprons from Raw Materials Design, designed by my cousin and That’s Neat! blog contributor, Janna.

Need more inspiration to get organized for a tag sale? Janna also wrote this post for my blog with her great ideas on how to hold a successful tag sale.

Happy Sales!

Preserving Treasures: Clothing and Fabrics, by guest blogger Gabby Burgman

My daughter just made her First Communion and looked so beautiful in her new dress. But the dress has been hanging in my bedroom for weeks now and I want to preserve it correctly. So I turned to my friend, archivist and professional organizer, Gabby Burgman.

Her guest post is the final installment of our Preserving Treasures series on the That’s Neat! Blog. Read the first posts, Preserving Paper and Preserving Photos.

It’s the time of year for momentous events: First Holy Communion, prom, weddings. You could say it is also your dry cleaner's favorite time of the year as hundreds of dresses pass through their shops.

But before you follow the old advice of having your special garment sealed in a box for posterity, there are a few things to know in order for your dress (or suit) to last a few decades. I'll go through the don'ts first so that you avoid making mistakes that will actually shorten the lifespan of your garment.

Do Not:

1. Leave your garment in a plastic bag unclean for months or years.
2. Have your dress/suit vacuum sealed in a box after it has been dry cleaned.
3. Store your garment in a cedar chest or closet or pack it in moth balls.

What? Aren't these the tried and true ways of preserving garments? Yes, these are tried methods but they have been found to be not true.

Garments stored in vacuum sealed boxes after dry cleaning have been found, once opened, to have yellowed, permanently creased, and become brittle. Why? The off gassing of the dry cleaning chemicals, the lack of oxygen, and the stationary storage of the garment all lead to deterioration of the garment. Garments stored in cedar chests/closets or moth balls end up breaking down due to the acids in the cedar and the off gassing from the moth balls.

The main culprits that shorten the lifespan of your garments are:

• Light
• Temperature/Humidity
• Dust/dirt
• Acidic environment
• Lack of oxygen

The best way to think about how you want to store your garments is to think about the environment most of us like: not direct sunlight, ambient temperatures that do not fluctuate, low humidity, and a clean environment, with plenty of oxygen. This is what your garments need to survive long term storage.

What you should do:

1. Have your garment dry cleaned. Try to get it cleaned within a few weeks of wearing it, especially if there is a stain or a drink (even clear liquids) spilled/dried on it.
2. As soon as you bring the garment home, remove it from the plastic bag and the wire hanger.
3. Decide how you want to store it: Hanging up or folded in a box (See below).
4. Schedule a date with your garment 6 months from now. If you hung the garment, take it out and make sure that it is doing okay. Check for mold, moth holes, or stains. Make sure the shoulder seams are holding up and are not molded to the hanger. If you have to, replace the padded hanger.  Once everything checks out, put the garment back in the closet and make another date for 6 months from now. The same routine will happen for your boxed garments except that you will need to refold the garment in a different direction so as to reduce the wear and tear the original folds experienced in the first 6 months of storage.

To hang:

Make sure you hang the garment on a padded hanger; unbleached muslin is preferred so dye is not transferred.

Use the twill tape loops that were included as part of the garment to hang it on the hanger. These loops help distribute the weight of the garment and alleviate the strain on the shoulder seam stitches.

Store the garment in a cotton bag like this one from The Container Store.

Put this bag in a bedroom closet that is kept in a room that is kept at an even temperature.

To box up:

Purchase an Acid-free, buffered* card board box along with acid free tissue paper. You can usually buy kits that sell these items together. *Note that if you are storing wools, silks, leather, fur, & feathers, you need to purchase an un-buffered box.

Working on a flat surface with no jewelry and clean hands, lay out your garment. For each fold you want to make in the garment, create a roll of tissue paper to act as a cushion to put in-between each fold. This is going to help prevent hard creases in your garment and reduce the strain on the fabric.

Once you have finished folding the garment to the box size, put it in the box but do not tape it shut. Put the box in a bedroom closet that is kept at an even temperature.

If you have the desire to store your hanging or boxed garment in a basement or attic, STOP! If this is a sentimental garment that has value, you should be willing to store it in the appropriate space. You don't tend to store valuable jewelry in the basement or attic and you shouldn't store your sentimentally valuable garments there either.

Follow the directions above and you will have a garment to proudly show off and lend to children and grandchildren.

Show you Care, not Clutter

With Teacher Appreciation Week, graduations, weddings, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day…you may have a long gift list this time of year.

Forget the mugs, ties, and crystal bowls. Give a gift that shows you care AND that doesn’t clutter the kitchen or end up in the attic.

Here are my favorite choices:

• Consumables: I’ve written before about the benefits of consumable gifts. This is especially a good idea for teachers, moms and dads. (Of course, always check to be sure the recipient has any food allergies.) Even a wedding gift can include consumables if the couple loves to cook. Check out the Wedding Crate from Penzy’s Spices or the vinegars and oils from Williams Sonoma. Experiences: Ideas here include theater tickets, movie tickets, day at the spa, hot air balloon ride, cooking class, car detailing (my personal favorite for Mother’s Day), museum pass, or even a walk/hike together. Hand-made Artwork or other Craft: For teachers, parents or grandparents, a drawing or card from a child can be a keepsake. For wedding gifts, I’ve had friends who painted me a one-of-a-kind picture and made a quilt. These gifts are not only useful but meaningful.

What are you favorite non-clutter gift ideas?

How to Get Kids to Clean Their Rooms

What’s the secret to get your kid to clean their room? Start good habits early on, and make sure your expectations are appropriate for your child’s age.

Read the rest of my tips in the April 2012 edition of Boston Parents Paper digital edition, page 14.

Happy spring cleaning!

De-Clutter & Donate: Coats for Kids

It’s that time again: time to clean out the closet and donate to the Coats for Kids coat drive.

Between now and January 8, 2012, drop off your unused, good condition coats for babies, kids or adults at any Anton’s Cleaners or Jordan’s Furniture store. They will be distributed to local agencies serving people in need.

Martha Stewart Living Radio Interview

I was thrilled to be interviewed on the MSLR show, "Living Today." Host Ryan Brockington and I discussed our favorite ways to get ready for summer, shared our love of lists, and I answered questions from callers. It was very fun!

Listen to the interview (about 30 minutes).