It is never a fun time to organize your child’s bedroom, but with summer almost over and the kids now in school, routines are the norm again and now could be the best time for both you and your child.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when organizing a child’s room.

 

Involve the kids

Most importantly, don’t forget to involve the kids. It may seem appealing to go into their room while they are at school and go to it but think of how you would feel if someone went through your belongings and kept what they wanted and discarded what you thought was important.

Your kids are attached to their possessions just as you are to yours and therefore need a voice in what stays, what goes and what is placed where. Also, keep in mind that they are just kids and therefore smaller than us and need to be able to reach things so try to avoid adult sized desks, bookcases and the like if possible.

Control the clothes

Let’s start with the clothes first. Kids tend to accumulate clothes. Back to school purchases, birthday gifts, and impromptu purchases from the grandparents, and don’t forget those hand me downs that come from seemingly everyone.

Do the clothes in the closet and drawers fit anymore?

Let the kids know that clothes that no longer fit will go to good use. Take your kids with you to the used clothing center or drop box to give them the sense of helping out. Use the same rule that you would use for yourself – if it hasn’t been worn for a year it is time to go. (It probably doesn’t fit anymore anyway.)

Tame the toys

Now here comes the hard part. Toys! Do your kids play in their room? Is there a designated play area in the house? If they play in their room toys must be organized for easy access and put away.

Store like with like, small with small and keep it easy for the kids to put toys away.

Don’t put toys away on the top shelf of a six foot high case when they can’t reach it – it will always end up left on the floor.

Purchase a few clear plastic bins and keep all the small cars together, all the doll accessories together so the kids can see what is in each container. When cleaning up or putting everything away for the night they will soon get the idea behind the containers.

If you know your child’s favourite toys, the ones they always go to, keep them within easy reach. If they are within easy reach it will be likely that they will be put away more often. Perhaps you could even label the shelf that the toys are stored on if your child is old enough to read.

Electronics etiquette

Finally, as kids grow older so too does the value of the toys, especially when you get into electronics – video games, tablets and the like. Teach your kids the value of possessions today and reward them with a job well done in looking after their toys and putting them away. Praise and hug go a long way.

If you think you may need some help in getting your child’s room and belongings organized for a stress free school year, contact us for a free telephone consultation!

Moving is always an important time in your life, but it can also cause a lot of stress. Here are 5 tips to make moving day go a lot smoother.

Choose the right box

Carefully choose the right size of box when packing. The wrong size of box can create too much space inside the box and no matter how carefully you pack and protect those precious memories you will not want things rattling around.

 

Too much space can also lead to a heavier box on top crushing the contents of the box below. And don’t forget to seal the boxes properly. Use shipping tape instead of folding the flaps so the contents do not fall out when the box is lifted.

Label

For an organized move it’s important that you label all boxes so you know which room they go into upon arrival to the new home and so that you know what is inside the box.

Too much time will be spent going through boxes at the other end if they are not labelled, so make sure you have a permanent marker handy.  Once they are in the room you can now unpack in the order that you choose and save time going through a lot of boxes looking for items.

Like with Like

Now that you are labeling the boxes do not pack items from two separate rooms into one box. With the boxes labelled and in the room they are supposed to be unpacked in there will be no time wasted running from room to room putting away items belonging in the kitchen that you found in the master bedroom box.

Protective wrap

Make sure your dishes and other breakables are packed well. Sounds obvious but there is a lot of movement on the trucks and when being picked up and put down. Dishes should be stacked in piles of like dishes – large plates on top of large plates – with a couple of sheets of protective paper, newspaper or bubble wrap between each plate.

After packing 4 to 6 dishes wrap them together with more paper and start again. When packing cups or mugs those boxes at liquor stores make for great packing. You may not want to go to the expense of purchasing packing supplies but for your dishes and other breakables you may want to make an exception.

Emergency and “Open Me First”

Just like traveling on vacation you may want an “emergency” pack prepared especially if you are moving a long distance or don’t expect to unpack the same day.

Something with a change of clothes, a facecloth and towel and a toothbrush for each member of the family, toilet paper, paper towel, prescription medications and toiletries.

Again, this is all about saving time and avoiding stress at the other end after a long day.

It’s also a good idea to have a “Open Me First” box containing items such as bed sheets and some basic non-perishable food snacks supplies so you can make it through the first day and night.

Door stops, a steep stool, garbage bags, box cutters, scissors, plastic utensils and cups and cleaning products are other important items to have for a “Open Me First” box.  And don’t forget your pets……a pet food dish, a serving of food and their bedding will be important for the first night.

Moving can be a very stressful time in your life. Following these simple tips can avoid a lot of that stress.

Good luck on your move! And remember, if you need packing or unpacking and settling in assistance so that your move is stress free, organized and a great experience, we are only a phone call away or email at info@clutterbgone.ca.

I see many clients preparing for various life transitions such as a new baby, loss of a loved one or downsizing to a smaller, smart-sized home.

It sounds easy to do but without proper planning you can find yourself in no better shape than when you decided to downsize in the first place. My husband and I have started to have just this conversation with the intent on being really prepared when the time comes. With my experience in this industry I would like share the three biggest mistakes that I see happen when people downsize their homes.

Having enough space

Make sure you give yourself enough space. Many people will downsize and after they have moved realize that perhaps they have gone too far in giving up space. Moving from a 2,000 square foot house to a 700 square foot condo may sound like the thing to do – easy to get around, less to clean, lower taxes perhaps – but did you give yourself enough space?

If you are still going to entertain often maybe you won’t have enough space for you and your guests to be comfortable. Do you need a separate bedroom for family and other guests? Are you going to run a business out of your home?

If so you will probably require an office which requires a separate room thus more space. Let’s face it, some of us need time away from our spouse now and again and thus may need a separate room or den to get away to watch our own TV programs or to read a book quietly.

Do your research

Many people downsizing will end up moving to another community to change their lifestyle or to take advantage of housing markets to pad their savings. Do plenty of research. Do you want an adult style community or family friendly? What amenities are required of you to be nearby? What is the maximum distance you are willing to travel to see family?

If you like a specific area but are not 100% convinced it is the right area why not rent there first to see if it is the ideal place for you.

Let non-essentials go

Probably the hardest part about downsizing is going through your possessions to determine what goes with you, what is given away or sold and what is donated or tossed. Life’s possessions become invaluable to us and unfortunately in most cases, only us. We all have items that are also important to family members but most of our “stuff” will sadly be disposed of after we are gone. Take a good, hard look at what you have and determine whether you really need to take it with you or deal with its disposition now.

Downsizing and moving on to another phase of your life doesn’t have to be a stressful time if you plan everything out. If this all seems a bit overwhelming and stressful, contact us and we will take the stress out of your next transition.

Let’s face it. Bikes and storage of bikes can take up a lot of space. But, we need our bikes, especially if we love the sport of cycling.

As we move towards smaller living spaces how do we accommodate our two wheeled transportation? We can’t just leave it in the living room as a conversation piece having it get in the way and having to move it every time we cross the room.

Once out of the downtown core of the big city and out in the suburbs or out in the country, there is a lot of room for bike storage. The garage, left on the porch or even chained to something outside. However, for the city dwellers, bikes are just as important as cars or public transit but do we leave our bike locked on the front porch or in the backyard subject to weather and thieves? Do we leave it in a spare room or on the balcony as an eye sore?

Some of you may be lucky enough to have a garage or a storage locker but for others the storage of your bike is a serious issue. Companies are realizing the need for attractive, usable storage systems for bikes and have come out with some bike racks that are outstanding!

With new racks on the market, bikes can even become a focal point of a room for conversation. With prices of bikes now getting into the thousands of dollars some of us want to show off our bike or at least have it stored properly. Today’s bike racks run from single, simple wall mounts to ones with book shelves and racks. Whether you go to your local hardware store for a hook to mount into the wall or ceiling or whether your tastes and budget allow for something a little more stylish there is something everyone.

This North American made rack mounts to wall studs and acts as a book shelf. How cool is that?

 

 

 

 

This European beauty can hold all your bike accessories including your helmet. Everything for your bike in one place!

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and this is our favourite. A freestanding unit that can be set up just about anywhere. This beauty looks just as good in a living room as it would in a basement or garage.

 

So whether your needs are simple from just a large hook installed in the wall to something a little more exotic like the examples above, you can get that two wheeled transportation system up and out of the way in a variety of contemporary and creative ways.

If you are struggling with finding ways to create more storage space in your home and don’t know where to begin, let us guide you in the right direction. If you think you need the help of a professional organizer, but are undecided, then check this blog post out to assist you in that decision. We can help!