The Old Ratty Blanket

By UniqueSpacesOrganizing,on June 20,2011

One of the gals in my organizing class told a story about an old,worn-out blanket with holes in it that kept showing up whenever the family had company.  She said she had the best of intentions to get rid of the blanket.  Then she started thinking that even though the blanket had a few holes,maybe she better keep it for the family dogs on cold winter nights.  So she stuck it away. Winter came and went.  The dogs never did see the blanket.

The family had company again. The blanket in all its ratty glory showed up in her living room wrapped around her child.  Embarrassment flowed and she vowed to really get rid of that blanket this time.

She put the blanket in a pile to donate,but thought “I think we can use it here on the ranch …for something.”  So out of the donation pile it came.  The next time the ratty old blanket appeared…you guessed it,her kids were dragging it around in front of company again.

Morals Of The Story
* Ratty old blankets and kids just seem to find each other,especially when you have company.
* Sometimes it is just better to let things go than to wait for your next embarrassing moment!

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The Dog Days of Summer &Kids

By UniqueSpacesOrganizing,on July 17,2010

Too Hot To Do Anything

About mid July the fun of summer has worn off.  The weather is hot,the days are long and it gets harder and harder to keep the kids entertained without spending $$.  What’s a frazzled Mom to do? 

Lucky Lunch Day –Pick a day each week and let the kids make their own lunch.  This project is especially fun for 3 to 7 year olds.  Provide several sandwich ingredients such as tortillas,rolls,bread,lunch meat,peanut butter,jelly,tuna and condiments.  Let them  be creative.  Who knows what culinary treat your little chefs might make!  The only rule is they must eat what they make.

Organize The Toys -  Organize toys by category and then place them in bins.  Bins can be placed on shelves in the closet or play area.  Make sure the bins are labeled.  Use digital photos and/or labels for each bin.   Let the kids take their own photos and make their own labels by hand,on the computer or with a label maker.  Its great fun.   Use colored bins with a specific color for each child in the family.  Della gets orange,Carson gets white and Chase gets green.  Color coded, labeled bins make toy cleanup easy and quick.

Thirsty Thursdays –each Thursday pick a new drink recipe to make at home.  Lemonade and root beer floats are sure to be a hit.  Smoothies,slushies, milkshakes and even chocolate milk are delicious treats.  Check out the Rachel Ray Yum-o website to learn more about childhood nutrition,try out recipes and even play games.

Accountable Kids –This is a great little program to teach your children how to be accountable and responsible.  It also teaches your kids time management and organization of themselves and their possessions.  I met Traci Heaton,the Brain behind this program,at the NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) conference three years ago.  I was so impressed with the program &Traci, I promptly bought a kit and gave it to a relative with small children.  I was amazed at how quickly it brought a calmness to the home and how much the kids loved doing the activities.  If you are looking for a way to help your kids get organized this summer,check out Accountable Kids.

I hope some of these ideas will energize your “Dog Days Of  Summer”!

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